Development of Zn1-x-yGaxCoyO1-zNz as a non-oxide semiconductor material with visible light photoelectrochemical activity

The recognition of photocatalysis as a promising approach for green energy generation and environmental pollution degradation has resulted in the emergence of a large number of semiconductor materials as photocatalyst. Here we introduce a non-oxide compound, Zn1-x-yGaxCoyO1-zNz oxynitride synthesized by solution combustion technique for application as visible light photocatalyst. The structural, microstructural, spectroscopic and photoelectrochemical studies of the samples are demonstrated. The wurtzite structured sample possessed bandgap of 2.76 eV allowing absorption in visible region of spectra which is explained using Valence Band XPS studies. The photoelectrochemical studies on the samples revealed a photo-anodic behavior with total half-life of trap states significantly reduced compared to some conventional photocatalyst materials.