Enhanced photocatalytic properties of ZnO/ reduced graphene oxide sheets (rGO) composites with controllable morphology and composition

ZnO with various morphologies and contents was used to decorate reduced graphene oxide (rGO) sheets via an easy one-step low-temperature chemical etching route to improve photocatalytic properties. The ZnO shape and content in ZnO/rGO composites were adjusted by changing aging time, heating mode, and rGO mass added. Shape and content-dependent optical and photocatalytic properties are observed in ZnO/rGO composites. A moderate amount of ZnO nanorings (NRs) decorated with rGO can significantly improve the light absorption and photo-luminescence emission because of plasmonic resonant absorption and plasmonic nanoantenna radiation, respectively. ZnO NR/rGO composites with a moderate ZnO content of 29.54 wt.% exhibit the optimum photocatalytic activity with a 0.025 min−1 apparent rate constant, which is significantly higher than those of pure rGO (0.0085 min−1) and ZnO NRs (0.018 min−1). The improved performance is ascribed to the synergistic effect of enhanced adsorption capacity, plasmonic light absorption, plasmonic nanoantenna radiation, and the prolonged lifetime of photogenerated electron-hole pairs. Our findings not only offer insights into the plasmon enhanced optical and photocatalytic properties of ZnO NR/rGO composites but also suggest the possibility of fabricating ZnO NR/rGO photocatalyst with enhanced performance.

This article originally appeared in Applied Surface Science 412, 2017, Pages 58-68.

When you register for this article your registration details will be passed to the sponsor who will provide you with information relevant to this topic.

Click here to find out more about Advanced Materials Analysis