Synthesis of CdTe/Carbon nanotube/ZnO flower-like micro-spheres and their photocatalytic activities in degradation of rohdamine B

•CdTe/CNTs/ZnO flower-like microspheres were synthesized by a hot bath method.•Nanosheets were formed similar to “reinforced concrete structure”.•Effective charge transfer enhanced photocatalytic activity. CdTe/Carbon nanotube (CNTs)/ZnO flower-like microspheres were successfully synthesized by a simple hot bath method and their physicochemical properties were characterized by X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), and UV–vis diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (DRS). The flower-like microspheres were formed with nanosheets of a 3–4μm diameter, and they showed a 98% degradation rate of rhodamine B (Rh B) under UV light irradiation in only 30min versus 60min for pure ZnO. The results strongly suggested that the photocatalytic activity of ZnO could be obviously enhanced by compositing with CdTe and CNTs.