Facile synthesis of ZnO nanorods grown on graphene sheets and its enhanced photocatalytic efficiency
BACKGROUND Recent advancements in nanoscale materials have focused on well‐designed nanocomposites that are highly oriented and organized. Three‐dimensional arrays consisting of one‐dimensional ZnO nanorods grown on reduced graphene oxide (RGO) sheets should be an efficient photocatalyst for photoca...
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Published in | Journal of chemical technology and biotechnology (1986) Vol. 90; no. 3; pp. 550 - 558 |
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Main Authors | , , , , , , , , , |
Format | Journal Article |
Language | English |
Published |
Chichester, UK
John Wiley & Sons, Ltd
01.03.2015
Wiley Subscription Services, Inc |
Subjects | |
Online Access | Get full text |
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Summary: | BACKGROUND
Recent advancements in nanoscale materials have focused on well‐designed nanocomposites that are highly oriented and organized. Three‐dimensional arrays consisting of one‐dimensional ZnO nanorods grown on reduced graphene oxide (RGO) sheets should be an efficient photocatalyst for photocatalytic hydrogen production from glycerol solution due to the increased adsorptivity of the reactant, extended light absorption range, and especially efficient charge transportation and separation.
RESULTS
It was found that the calcination temperature of the ZnO seed layer had a significant influence on the morphology, surface structure, optical and electronic properties of ZnO/RGO nanocomposites. When the calcination temperature of the ZnO seed layer was 400 °C, ZnO nanorods grown on graphene sheets with C–O–Zn linkages can be achieved. This sample exhibited the highest photocatalytic H2 production rate.
CONCLUSION
The results of this study show that superior photocatalytic performance originates from the higher transfer rate of photo‐generated electrons from ZnO to RGO, and repressed recombination of the photoinduced hole–electron pairs of ZnO, which is closely related with the chemical interaction between ZnO and RGO and the concentration of Zn–O–C bonds. Moreover, the morphology of ZnO nanorods favors the directional transfer of electrons in ZnO. © 2014 Society of Chemical Industry |
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Bibliography: | istex:141CDEA7B1D2305983727D526D11BB3D7F0D4C99 ark:/67375/WNG-LW9LG0JV-C ArticleID:JCTB4347 TEM images of the ZnO seed layer at different calcination temperature. a 100°C, b 200 °C, c 300 °C , d 400°CThe Raman spectra of GO and ZnO/RGO nanocomposites.(a) ZnO/RGO-100, (b) ZnO/RGO-200, (c) ZnO/RGO-300, (d) ZnO/RGO-400FT-IR spectra of the residual graphene after dissolving ZnO/RGO-400 in a solution of hydrochloric acid(a), ZnO/RGO-200(b) and ZnO/RGO-400 (c)TEM image of the ZnO/RGO-400 after four cycles ObjectType-Article-1 SourceType-Scholarly Journals-1 ObjectType-Feature-2 content type line 23 |
ISSN: | 0268-2575 1097-4660 |
DOI: | 10.1002/jctb.4347 |