LAUSR

A simple and environment-friendly approach to prepare zinc oxide nanoaggregates was achieved by employing ethylene glycol–H 2 O as the reaction medium. The composition and structure of the as-fabricated ZnO products were confirmed using X-ray diffraction, scanning and transmission electron microscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and nitrogen adsorption measurements. By tailoring the volume ratio of ethylene glycol to water, coral-like, flower-like, and nanoparticulate ZnO nanoaggregates were successfully synthesized. The impact of the structure of the as-obtained ZnO nanoaggregates on the photocatalytic degradation of ciprofloxacin was further studied. Under simulated solar light irradiation, the photocatalytic removal rate of coral-like, flower-like, and nanoparticulate ZnO nanoaggregates for ciprofloxacin was 45%, 80%, and 90%, respectively. The reactive species trapping experiment result indicated that the generated holes, OH − , and ·O 2 − active species mainly contributed to the degradation of ciprofloxacin. On the basis of photoluminescence spectra and photo/electrochemical measurement results, the prevention of electron-hole recombination and the rapid charge transfer upon the ZnO nanoparticle aggregates resulted in their efficient photocatalytic activity. Graphical abstract Engineered zinc oxide nanoaggregates for photocatalytic removal of ciprofloxacin with structure dependence