Preparation of ZnO/GO composite material with highly photocatalytic performance via an improved two-step method

ZnO/graphene oxide (ZnO/GO) composite material, in which ZnO nanoparticles were densely coated on the GO nanosheets, was successfully prepared by an improved two-step method and characterized by IR, XRD, TEM, and UV-vis techniques. The improved photocatalytic property of the ZnO/GO composite material, evaluated by the photocatalytic degradation of methyl orange (MO) under UV irradiation, is ascribed to the intimate contact between ZnO and GO, the enhanced adsorption of MO, the quick electron transfer from excited ZnO particles to GO sheets and the activation of MO molecules via pi-pi interaction between MO and GO. (C) 2013 Bi-Tao Su. Published by Elsevier B.V. on behalf of Chinese Chemical Society. All rights reserved.