ZnO as a semiconductor photocatalyst is widely applied in the photodegradation of organic pollutants.Its photocatalytic activity is greatly decreased because of the recombination of photoexcited electrons and holes in the bulk.In this work,Zn O sheets are synthesized by adjusting the Na OH concentration under light irradiation at room temperature.Compared with Zn O particles,the Zn O sheets prepared with a light-assisted growth method exhibit a higher rate of photodegradation of methylene blue under UV–visible light irradiation.The improved photodegradation rate is mainly attributed to the shortened transport distance of photoexcited electrons,the high surface area,and the surface atom structure modified by the light-assisted growth process. ZnO as a semiconductor photocatalyst is widely applied in the photodegradation of organic pollutants. Its photocatalytic activity is greatly reduced because of the recombination of photoexcited electrons and holes in the bulk. In this work, Zn O sheets are synthesized by adjusting the Na OH concentration under light irradiation at room temperature .Compared with Zn O particles, the Zn O sheets prepared with a light-assisted growth method exhibit a higher rate of photodegradation of methylene blue under UV-visible light irradiation. The improved photodegradation rate is mainly attributed to the shortened transport distance of photoexcited electrons, the high surface area, and the surface atom structure modified by the light-assisted growth process.