4 research outputs found
Hybrid Nanocomposites of Poly(Lactic Acid)/Thermoplastic Polyurethane with Nanosilica/Montmorillonite
Carbon-Doped ZnO Nanostructures: Facile Synthesis and Visible Light Photocatalytic Applications
Carbon-Doped ZnO Nanostructures: Facile Synthesis and Visible Light Photocatalytic Applications
Zinc
oxide (ZnO) has been widely used as a photocatalyst for solar
energy conversion and treatment of organic pollutants because of its
low toxicity and high photocatalytic efficiency. However, the applicability
of ZnO in visible light is limited because of the wide band gap of
the material, which results in low efficiency during solar photoconversion.
In this paper, we report the facile one-pot, morphology-controlled,
and large-scale synthesis of carbon-doped ZnO through urea-assisted
thermal decomposition of zinc acetate. Nanorods and nanospheres of
carbon-doped ZnO were successfully prepared by using this one-step
method with various weight percent of urea. The photocatalytic activities
of nanocrystals obtained with different morphologies and carbon contents
were evaluated through degradation of methylene blue with visible
light irradiation. Results showed that incorporation of carbon decreases
the energy bandgap of ZnO, improves the separation efficiency of its
electron–hole pairs, and significantly enhances the visible
light photocatalytic activity