One-step hydrothermal synthesis of In2O3-ZnO heterostructural composites and their enhanced visible-light photocatalytic activity

Hexagonal In2O3-ZnO heterostructural composites with high visible-light photocatalytic activity have been obtained by a one-step hydrothermal process. The microscopic analysis revealed that the In2O3-ZnO heterostructures were composed of In2O3 nanoparticles dispersed on the surface of ZnO nanodisks. Compared with pure ZnO nanodisks, the obtained In2O3-ZnO composites exhibit significantly enhanced photocatalytic activity for methylene blue degradation under visible light irradiation. The enhanced photocatalytic activity could be attributed to the formation of heterostructures, which might improve the separation of photogenerated electrons and holes.