Influence of morphological and structural parameters of ZnO tetrapods on their activity in the reaction of photocatalytic degradation of ciprofloxacin

The influence of morphological and structural parameters of microdimensional tetrapods ZnO on their activity in the reaction of photocatalytic degradation of ciprofloxacin under the influence of UV light has been studied. The greatest activity (reaction rate constant 25.5 $\cdot$ 10$^{-3}$ min$^{-1}$) was demonstrated by unalloyed ZnO tetrapods obtained in the presence of Au in the initial charge, which had the smallest geometric parameters. The photocatalytic activity of tetrapods is explained by the highly defective structure of their near-surface layers. Photoactive microsize tetrapods ZnO, synthesized by the carbothermal method, can be used in the mineralization of toxic organic compounds.