A Facile and Flexible Approach for Large-Scale Fabrication of ZnO Nanowire Film and Its Photocatalytic Applications.

Qingyang Li,Quanxin Ma,Qiwei Wang,Zaijun Chen,Maozhong An

doi:10.3390/nano9060846

Abstract

A novel strategy for large-scale synthesis of ZnO nanowire film is reported, which inherits the advantages of the solution-phase method and seeded growth process, such as low-temperature, efficient, economical, facile and flexible. It is easy to implement on various metals through room-temperature electrodeposition, followed by hydrothermal treatment at 90 °C, and suitable for industrialized production. The ZnO nanowires with an average wire diameter about 40 nm are in situ grown from and on nanocrystalline zinc coating, which forms a strong metallurgical bonding with the substrates. The p-type ZnO nanowire film has a well-preferred orientation along the (100) direction and a wurtzite structure, thereby displaying an effective photocatalytic capability for carcinogenic Cr6+ ions and CO2 greenhouse gas reduction under visible light irradiation. In addition to these features, the ZnO nanowire film is easy to recycle and, therefore, it has broad application prospects in contaminant degradation and renewable energy.

Highlights

ZnO nanowire film has recently attracted considerable attention in the fields of nanoscale electronics [1], photonics [2], gas sensors [3], solar cells [4], and photocatalysts [5], due to its unusual physicochemical properties, such as a wide bandgap, strong exciton binding energy and excellent thermal stability [6]
Considering that the solution volume decreased during continuous sampling, while the ZnO nanowire film was unconsumed, the photocatalytic degradation rate of Cr6+ in a 100 mL solution exposed to visible light for 140 min was evaluated (Figure S6)
We developed a simple, flexible and cost-effective strategy, i.e., electrodeposition of nanocrystalline zinc coating followed by a mild hydrothermal treatment, for large-scale growth of ZnO nanowire film in situ on various metals

Summary

Introduction

ZnO nanowire film has recently attracted considerable attention in the fields of nanoscale electronics [1], photonics [2], gas sensors [3], solar cells [4], and photocatalysts [5], due to its unusual physicochemical properties, such as a wide bandgap, strong exciton binding energy and excellent thermal stability [6]. Among the above-mentioned approaches, the hydrothermal reaction is considered as one of the most promising processes for the economical synthesis of ZnO nanowire film, because it does not require a vacuum, high growth temperature, sophisticated equipment, precious metal catalysts, nano-template, and continuous gas injection [18]. In this regard, Vayssieres [19] produced the film by the natural adsorption of ZnO nanowire powder on the substrate from a solution containing Zn2+ ions at 95 ◦C. Tahnedpthreesuenntdsetrulydiynegsmpeeccihalalnyifsomcu. ses on its photocatalytic activity and the underlying mechanism

Materials and Methods

Conclusions