Sol-gel fabrication of Ag-Coated ZnO quantum dots nanocomposites with excellent photocatalytic activity
Source abstract
Abstract
Abstract The development of metal/semiconductor photoactive materials has progressed remarkably with respect to heterogeneous photocatalysis. In this study, pristine ZnO quantum dots (ZQ) and Ag/ZQ nanocomposites with different Ag loadings were prepared using a cost-effective method. The synthesized samples were characterized using X-ray diffraction, high-resolution transmission electron microscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and electron paramagnetic resonance analyses. Photocatalytic experiments indicated that the Ag11/ZQ nanocomposite (Ag content of 11 wt%), exhibited excellent photocatalytic activity for methylene blue degradation. A combination of ultraviolet–visible spectroscopy, photoluminescence spectroscopy, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, time-resolved photoluminescence analyses, and analog computational analysis were employed to propose the mechanism underlying the enhanced photocatalytic activity of Ag/ZQ nanocomposites. This was attributed to the effective charge transfer to the surface-decorated Ag, which efficiently suppresses electron–hole recombination in the ZQ, as well as oxygen vacancies (VO) on the ZQ surface provide more reactive sites. Consequently, Ag/ZQ nanocomposites are promising photocatalytic materials for the removal of organic pollutants from wastewater.
Source: openaire · Quality: candidate unverified · Source record ↗
Research context
OpenAlex topics: Advanced Photocatalysis Techniques · Quantum Dots Synthesis And Properties · ZnO doping and properties
SciVX discovery tags are terminology-based. OpenAlex topics are source-provided classifications.
References (51)
Show source-provided references
1. Recent developments in photocatalytic water treatment technology: a review10.1016/j.watres.2010.02.039 ↗
2. Recent advances in semiconductors for photocatalytic and photoelectrochemical water splitting10.1039/C3CS60378D ↗
3. Recent advances and applications of semiconductor photocatalytic technology10.3390/app9122489 ↗
4. Visible-light-active doped metal oxide nanoparticles: review of their synthesis, properties, and applications10.1021/acsanm.0c01035 ↗
5. Perovskite solar cells with ZnO electron-transporting materials10.1002/adma.201703737 ↗
6. One dimensional-ZnO nanostructures: synthesis, properties and environmental applications10.1016/j.mssp.2013.06.017 ↗
7. A review on ZnO nanostructured materials: energy, environmental and biological applications10.1088/1361-6528/ab268a ↗
8. Sol-gel growth of hexagonal faceted ZnO prism quantum dots with polar surfaces for enhanced photocatalytic activity10.1021/am100274d ↗
9. Size quantization effects on interfacial electron transfer dynamics in Ru(II)–Polypyridyl complex sensitized ZnO QDs10.1021/jp5101158 ↗
10. Oxygen vacancy induced band-gap narrowing and enhanced visible light photocatalytic activity of ZnO10.1021/am300835p ↗
11. The surface oxygen vacancy induced visible activity and enhanced UV activity of a ZnO1−x photocatalyst10.1039/c3cy00369h ↗
12. A high performance cobalt-doped ZnO visible light photocatalyst and its photogenerated charge transfer properties10.1007/s12274-011-0163-4 ↗
13. A review of ZnO nanoparticles as solar photocatalysts: synthesis, mechanisms and applications10.1016/j.rser.2017.08.020 ↗
14. Low-Temperature preparation of Ag-doped ZnO nanowire arrays, DFT study, and application to light-emitting diode10.1021/acsami.5b01496 ↗
15. High visible photoelectrochemical activity of Ag nanoparticle-sandwiched CdS/Ag/ZnO nanorods10.1021/acsami.6b12259 ↗
16. Effect of Pt nanoparticles on the photocatalytic activity of ZnO nanofibers10.1186/s11671-015-1126-6 ↗
17. Correlation between electronic structures and photocatalytic activities of nanocrystalline-(Au, Ag, and Pt) particles on the surface of ZnO nanorods10.1021/jp110075j ↗
18. Fabrication of Ag/ZnO/reduced graphene oxide nanocomposite for SERS detection and multiway killing of bacteria10.1016/j.jallcom.2016.10.241 ↗
19. Surface charge transfer properties of high-performance Ag-decorated ZnO photocatalysts10.1088/0022-3727/44/31/315502 ↗
20. Tip-grafted Ag-ZnO nanorod arrays decorated with Au clusters for enhanced photocatalysis10.1016/j.cattod.2018.09.010 ↗
21. Ag/ZnO heterostructures and their photocatalytic activity under visible light: effect of reducing medium10.1016/j.jhazmat.2014.12.045 ↗
22. Biogenic synthesis, photocatalytic, and photoelectrochemical performance of Ag–ZnO nanocomposite10.1021/jp410063p ↗
23. Synthesis and growth of ZnO nanoparticles10.1021/jp980730h ↗
24. Defect-rich ZnO nanosheets of high surface area as an efficient visible-light photocatalyst10.1016/j.apcatb.2016.03.040 ↗
25. Solution grown ZnO rods: synthesis, characterization and defect mediated photocatalytic activity10.1016/j.apcatb.2014.09.045 ↗
26. Fluorescent ZnO quantum dots synthesized with urea for the selective detection of Cr6+ ion in water with a wide range of concentrations10.1088/2050-6120/ab29c8 ↗
27. Effect of Ag doping on structural, optical, and photocatalytic properties of ZnO nanoparticles10.1016/j.jallcom.2015.03.136 ↗
28. Regulable preparation of the oxygen vacancy of ZnO QDs and their fluorescence performance10.1016/j.molstruc.2019.05.105 ↗
29. Surface oxygen vacancy defect-promoted electron-hole separation for porous defective ZnO hexagonal plates and enhanced solar-driven photocatalytic performance10.1016/j.cej.2019.122295 ↗
30. Ag nanoparticle decorated nanoporous ZnO microrods and their enhanced photocatalytic activities10.1021/am301682g ↗
31. Ag/ZnO heterostructure nanocrystals: synthesis, characterization, and photocatalysis10.1021/ic700688f ↗
32. Novel and efficient synthesis of Ag-ZnO nanoparticles for the sunlight-induced photocatalytic degradation10.1016/j.apsusc.2019.01.137 ↗
33. Effect of Ag doping on structural, optical, and photocatalytic properties of ZnO nanoparticles10.1016/j.jallcom.2015.03.136 ↗
34. Blue luminescence of ZnO nanoparticles based on non-equilibrium processes: defect origins and emission controls10.1002/adfm.200901884 ↗
35. Photoluminescence and electron paramagnetic resonance of ZnO tetrapod structures10.1002/adfm.200305082 ↗
36. Zinc oxide nanoparticles with defects10.1002/adfm.200500087 ↗
37. A method for effectively regulating the green emissions of ZnO through NiS@NiO/rGO10.1016/j.apsusc.2021.149805 ↗
38. Origin of visible photoluminescence of ZnO quantum dots: defect-dependent and size-dependent10.1021/jp101324a ↗
39. Synthesis of Ag-Fe3O4 heterodimeric nanoparticles10.1016/j.jcis.2005.11.009 ↗
40. Enhanced Raman scattering and photocatalytic activity of Ag/ZnO heterojunction nanocrystals10.1039/c1dt10799b ↗
41. Synergistic effects of pH and calcination temperature on enhancing photodegradation performance of m-BiVO410.1016/j.jtice.2017.09.045 ↗
42. Growth mechanism, optical and photocatalytic properties of ZnO nanorods@nanoflowers (quantum dots) hybrid nanostructures10.1016/j.ceramint.2015.06.049 ↗
43. A novel architecture of dandelion-like Mo2C/TiO2 heterojunction photocatalysts towards high-performance photocatalytic hydrogen production from water splitting10.1039/C7TA02655B ↗
44. Charge transfer dynamics in Cu-doped ZnO nanowires10.1063/1.3558912 ↗
45. Oxygen vacancies in ZnO nanosheets enhance CO2 electrochemical reduction to CO10.1002/anie.201711255 ↗
46. Calculations of strain-modified anatase TiO2 band structures10.1103/PhysRevB.77.195112 ↗
47. ZnO quantum dots-graphene composites: formation mechanism and enhanced photocatalytic activity for degradation of methyl orange dye10.1016/j.jallcom.2015.12.169 ↗
48. Ag/ZnO/PMMA nanocomposites for efficient water reuse10.1021/acsabm.0c00409 ↗
49. An enhanced photocatalytic response of nanometric TiO2 wrapping of Au nanoparticles for eco-friendly water applications10.1039/C4NR02820A ↗
50. Rapid and low temperature synthesis of Ag nanoparticles on the ZnO nanorods for photocatalytic activity improvement10.1016/j.rinp.2019.102209 ↗
51. Photocatalytic activity enhanced by plasmonic resonant energy transfer from metal to semiconductor10.1021/ja305603t ↗