ZnO and TiO 2 1D nanostructures for photocatalytic applications

Abstract

ZnO and TiO 2 1D nanostructures (nanorods and nanotubes) were prepared by low-cost, low-temperature, solution-based methods and their properties and photocatalytic performance were studied. ZnO nanorod samples with titania and alumina shells were also prepared by solution-based methods, and their properties and photocatalytic performance were compared to that of bare ZnO nanorods. We found that ZnO and TiO 2 exhibited comparable photocatalytic performance. Faster dye degradation under simulated solar illumination was observed for ZnO, while under UV illumination faster degradation was observed for TiO 2. ZnO nanorods with titania shells exhibited inferior photocatalytic performance, while for alumina shells the performance was similar to bare ZnO. Reasons for observed differences are discussed, and the effect of the shell on photocatalytic activity is attributed to the changes in native defects at the ZnO surface/shell interface.