Gold nanoparticles modified ZnO nanorods with improved photocatalytic activity

Well-aligned ZnO nanorods (NRs) were grown on indium-tin-oxide (ITO) slide by the hydrothermal method and used as templates for preparing ZnO/Au composite nanoarrays. The optical and morphological properties of ZnO/Au composites under various HAuCl(4) concentrations were explored via UV-vis absorption spectroscopy, photoluminescence (PL) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The density and size of gold nanoparticles (Au NPs) on ZnO NRs can be controlled by adjusting the concentration of HAuCl(4). The optimal ZnO/Au composites display complete photocatalytic degradation of methyl blue (MB) within 60 min, which is superior to that with pure ZnO NRs prepared by the same method. The reason of better photocatalytic performance is that Au NPs act as electron traps and it prevents the rapid recombination of electrons and holes, resulting in the improvement of photocatalytic efficiency. The photocatalytic performance of ZnO/Au composites is mainly controlled by the density of Au NPs formed on ZnO NRs. The application in rapid photodegradation of MB shows the potential of ZnO/Au composite as a convenient catalyst for the environmental purification of organic pollutants. (C) 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.