532 nm nanosecond pulse laser triggered synthesis of ZnO₂ nanoparticles via a fast ablation technique in liquid and their photocatalytic performance

Cubic phase zinc peroxide nanoparticles (ZnO₂ NPs) with an average diameter of ca. 9–15 nm have been synthesized via a fast nanosecond pulse laser ablation in liquid technique (PLAL), using H₂O₂ aqueous solution as the ablation media and a 532 nm pulsed laser as the irradiation source and low-cost zinc powder as the solid target. Both the laser energy and ablation time potentially have a substantial influence on the formation of ZnO₂ NPs. Due to its relatively high oxidation level as well as its hydrophilic wetting behavior, the as-synthesized ZnO₂ NPs exhibit efficient photocatalytic degradation ability of Rhodamine B (RB) whilst remaining stable to photodegradation. The possible mechanisms of the photocatalytic behavior have been discussed in what follows.