| Article ID | Journal | Published Year | Pages | File Type |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1529969 | Materials Science and Engineering: B | 2011 | 6 Pages |
Ag/tetrapod-like ZnO whisker (T-ZnOw) photocatalysts with different Ag loadings were synthesized by photoreduction of Ag+ on the surface of T-ZnOw. The chemical composition, morphology and photocatalytic properties of Ag/T-ZnOw photocatalysts were characterized and studied in detail. It is found that metal Ag can exist either as nanoparticles or as agglomerates through varying the Ag/ZnO molar ratio (MR). In photodegradation of methyl orange, enhanced degradation rates are achieved by all Ag/T-ZnOw photocatalysts due to increased separation efficiency of photogenerated electron and hole pairs. Specifically, the photocatalytic activities of Ag/T-ZnOw photocatalysts increase with increasing Ag/ZnO MR from 2.4 to 12%. However, further increasing the Ag/ZnO MR to 14.4% induces the formation of more agglomerates, which can act as recombination centers of photogenerated electron and hole pairs, leading to decreased photocatalytic activity of the photocatalyst.
► Using photoreduction to load Ag nanoparticles on T-ZnOw. ► Enhanced photocatalytic activity. ► Effect of different Ag loadings on the morphologies of Ag/T-ZnOw photocatalysts. ► Relation between morphology and photocatalytic activity.
