ZnO nanorods surface-decorated by WO3 nanoparticles for photocatalytic degradation of endocrine disruptors under a compact fluorescent lamp

Nanoscaled tungsten oxide (WO3) particles coated on ZnO nanorods (ZNRs) were newly synthesized by combining a hydrothermal technique with a chemical solution process. The structure, morphologies and compositions of the as-prepared WO3-ZNR nanocomposites were characterized through XRD, FESEM, TEM and Raman measurements. The results revealed that pure monoclinic WO3 nanoparticles with an average size range of 18-26 nm were distributed on the surfaces of ZNRs and attached strongly. Particularly, the optical properties as well as photocatalytic characteristics of pure ZNRs and WO3-ZNR nanocomposites with different loadings of WO3 were also examined. The absorption of WO3-ZNR nanocomposites was redshifted due to effective immobilization of WO3 on ZNRs. Under irradiation of a 55 W compact fluorescence lamp, the photocatalytic activities of the WO3-ZNR nanocomposites were superior to those of pure ZNRs and P25 in the degradation of resorcinol (ReOH). Furthermore, WO3-ZNR nanocomposites showed very favorable recycle use potential and high sedimentation rate. Other endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) such as phenol, bisphenol A (BPA) and methylparaben were also successfully photodegraded under identical conditions. These characteristics showed the practical applications of the WO3-ZNR nanocomposites in indoor environmental remediation.