Synergistic Effect in Polyaniline-Hybrid Defective ZnO with Enhanced Photocatalytic Activity and Stability

Polyaniline (PANI) hybrid defective ZnO nanoparticles were synthesized by a facile chemisorption method together with a cold plasma treatment (CPT) technique. The PANI was dispersed uniformly onto the defective ZnO surface, and an intimate contact on the interface was observed. The coated PANI could act cooperatively with deliberately introduced defects (oxygen vacancy and interstitial zinc) to achieve remarkably enhanced photocatalytic activity. Moreover, the monomolecular-layered PANI could effectively stabilize defects on the surface of ZnO, which is of significance for practical application. It is hoped that the present work may provide an efficient and applicable method to develop photocatalysts with excellent performance.