Lamellar ZrO₂ rich in oxygen vacancies developed via a novel route for efficient photocatalytic applications

The photocatalytic performance of ZrO₂ is primarily governed by the active sites derived from oxygen vacancies and the abundant surface reaction interfaces provided by high-surface-area microstructures. However, conventional synthesis approaches often fail to achieve the precise, synergistic regulation of oxygen vacancy concentration and microstructural morphology. Herein, a molecular-scale precursor design strategy is employed to establish bidentate bridging coordination between acetate ligands and Zr centers, successfully constructing ZrO_2-x with a hierarchical micro/nano-lamellar architecture, high oxygen vacancy concentration, and large specific surface area. These enriched oxygen vacancies not only induce bandgap narrowing but also shift the conduction band toward more negative potentials, thereby enhancing the reducing power of photogenerated electrons, promoting the generation of superoxide radicals (·O₂⁻), and ultimately improving the overall degradation efficiency. Furthermore, the hierarchical micro/nano-lamellar architecture significantly increases the contact probability between reactants and active sites, thereby accelerating the photocatalytic reaction kinetics. Photocatalytic performance evaluations demonstrate that the as-prepared material achieves a 92% degradation efficiency for RhB under 300 W xenon lamp irradiation within 2 h, while retaining 76% of its initial activity after five consecutive cycles. This study elucidates the synergistic role of acetate ligands in regulating both material morphology and crystal defects, offering a robust paradigm for the rational design of high-performance metal oxide photocatalysts.