Synthesis of ZnO/C nanocomposites with enhanced visible light photocatalytic activity

ZnO/C photocatalysts were successfully synthesized through the simple one-step calcination of zinc acetate dihydrate and glucose at 350 degrees C. The materials were characterized by XRD, TEM, FT-IR, and UV to ascertain their nanostructure, crystallographic phase, morphology, and photocatalytic properties. The ZnO/C composites displayed excellent photocatalytic activity for the degradation of methylene blue as compared with pristine ZnO. The best performance was achieved with the ZnO/C composite containing 1.5% carbon, in which the carbonaceous material assisted the adsorption of the water pollutant, effectively extended the absorption range to the visible light region, and improved the separation rates of photoelectrons and holes. (C) 2016 Elsevier Ltd and Techna Group S.r.l. All rights reserved.