Electrodeposition of flexible stainless steel mesh supported ZnO nanorod arrays with enhanced photocatalytic performance

Large scale well oriented ZnO nanorod arrays (ZNRAs) were electrodeposited on flexible stainless steel mesh (SSM) substrate pre-treated by Al doped ZnO (AZO) seed layers. The effects of substrate pre-treatment conditions such as Al doping and spin coating times of the colloid on the morphology characteristics and photocatalytic properties of as-prepared ZNRAs were systematically studied. The results showed that by introducing Al into ZnO colloid solution, well aligned ZNRAs with relatively higher specific surface area (higher growth density and smaller rod diameter) could be obtained on the premodified SSM substrate. In addition, increasing spin coating times of AZO colloid solution would decrease the average diameter of ZNRAs. Under the optimum preparing conditions, the formed flexible SSM supported ZNRAs exihibited enhanced photocatalytic performance of 93.42% and remarkable photocatalytic stability under the UV-lamp for degradation of Rhodamine B.