Solar-Light-Driven Efficient ZnO-Single-Walled Carbon Nanotube Photocatalyst for the Degradation of a Persistent Water Pollutant Organic Dye

An efficient photocatalyst, ZnO-single-walled carbon nanotube (ZnO-SWCNT) nanocomposite was successfully fabricated through a straightforward one-pot-two-chemical recrystallization technique followed by thermal decomposition. The photocatalytic efficiency of the prepared ZnO-SWCNT composite was investigated by assessing the degradation of a persistent water-pollutant dye (methylene blue, MB) under visible-light irradiation. We found that the synthesized photocatalyst is an effective and recyclable agent for the decomposition of an MB solution. Its photocatalytic performance was substantially better than that of pristine ZnO nanorods or pristine SWCNTs. The reusability of the photocatalyst was also examined, affirming that it could be used repeatedly for five cycles without conspicuous loss of morphology or catalytic performance.