Zinc Oxide nanorod/Au composite arrays and their enhanced photocatalytic properties

Xueqin Liu; Zhen Li; Wen Zhao; Caixin Zhao; Jianbo Yang; Yang Wang

doi:10.1016/j.jcis.2014.06.008

Zinc Oxide nanorod/Au composite arrays and their enhanced photocatalytic properties

J Colloid Interface Sci. 2014 Oct 15:432:170-5. doi: 10.1016/j.jcis.2014.06.008. Epub 2014 Jun 17.

Authors

Xueqin Liu¹, Zhen Li², Wen Zhao¹, Caixin Zhao¹, Jianbo Yang¹, Yang Wang¹

Affiliations

¹ Engineering Research Center of Nano-Geomaterials of Ministry of Education, China University of Geosciences, Wuhan 430074, PR China; Faculty of Material Science and Chemistry, China University of Geosciences, Wuhan 430074, PR China.
² Engineering Research Center of Nano-Geomaterials of Ministry of Education, China University of Geosciences, Wuhan 430074, PR China; Faculty of Material Science and Chemistry, China University of Geosciences, Wuhan 430074, PR China. Electronic address: zhenli@cug.edu.cn.

PMID: 25086391
DOI: 10.1016/j.jcis.2014.06.008

Abstract

In this paper, a high-performance photocatalyst of ZnO nanorod/Au composite arrays (ZAs) was synthesized via a facile low-temperature wet chemical method. The samples were characterized using field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), photoluminescence (PL) emission spectroscopy and ultraviolet-visible (UV-Vis) absorption. The unique nanostructured composite showed great adsorptivity of dyes, extended light absorption range, and efficient charge separation properties simultaneously. Hence, a significant enhancement in the photocatalytic properties in comparison with pure ZnO as demonstrated in photodegradation of methyl orange due to the incorporation of Au nanoparticles in ZnO nanorods.

Keywords: Chemical adsorptivity; Efficient charge separation; Extended light absorption; Photocatalysis; ZnO/Au.