Enhancing the photocatalytic activity and photostability of zinc oxide nanorod arrays via graphitic carbon mediation

doi:10.1016/S1872-2067(18)63010-4

Abstract

Abstract:

Low optical absorption and photocorrosion are two crucial issues limiting the practical applications of zinc oxide (ZnO)-based photocatalysts. In this paper, we report the fabrication of graphitic-carbon-mediated ZnO nanorod arrays (NRAs) with enhanced photocatalytic activity and photostability for CO₂ reduction under visible light irradiation. ZnO NRA/C-x (x=005, 01, 02, and 03) nanohybrids are prepared by calcining pre-synthesized ZnO NRAs with different amounts of glucose (0.05, 0.1, 0.2, and 0.3 g) as a carbon source via a hydrothermal method. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy reveals that the obtained ZnO NRA/C-x nanohybrids are imparted with the effects of both carbon doping and carbon coating, as evidenced by the detected C-O-Zn bond and the C-C, C-O and C=O bonds, respectively. While the basic structure of ZnO remains unchanged, the UV-Vis absorption spectra show increased absorbance owing to the carbon doping effect in the ZnO NRA/C-x nanohybrids. The photoluminescence (PL) intensities of ZnO NRA/C-x nanohybrids are lower than that of bare ZnO NRA, indicating that the graphitic carbon layer coated on the surface of the ZnO NRA significantly enhances the charge carrier separation and transport, which in turn enhances the photoelectrochemical property and photocatalytic activity of the ZnO NRA/C-x nanohybrids for CO₂ reduction. More importantly, a long-term reaction of photocatalytic CO₂ reduction demonstrates that the photostability of ZnO NRA/C-x nanohybrids is significantly increased in comparison with the bare ZnO NRA.

Key words: Photocatalysis, ZnO nanorod array, Graphitic carbon, Charge transfer, Photostability, CO₂ reduction

Xuewei Zhang, Xueliang Zhang, Xin Wang, Lequan Liu, Jinhua Ye, Defa Wang. Enhancing the photocatalytic activity and photostability of zinc oxide nanorod arrays via graphitic carbon mediation[J]. Chinese Journal of Catalysis, 2018, 39(5): 973-981.

×
share this article

Add to citation manager EndNote|Ris|BibTeX

URL: https://www.cjcatal.com/EN/10.1016/S1872-2067(18)63010-4

https://www.cjcatal.com/EN/Y2018/V39/I5/973

References

[1] A. Fujishima, K. Honda, Nature, 1972, 238, 37-38.
[2] Z. G. Zou, J.H. Ye, K. Sayama, H. Arakawa, Nature, 2001, 414, 625-627.
[3] M. Halmann, Nature, 1978, 275, 115-116.
[4] D. F. Wang, A. Pierre, M. G. Kibria, K. Cui, X. G. Han, K. H. Bevan, H. Guo, S. Paradis, A. R. Hakima, Z. T. Mi, Nano Lett., 2011, 11, 2353-2357.
[5] A. Sarkar, E. Gracia-Espino, T. Wågberg, A. Shchukarev, M. Mohl, A. R. Rautio, O. Pitkänen, T. Sharifi, K. Kordas, J. P. Mikkola, Nano Res., 2016, 9, 1956-1968.
[6] M. Marszewski, S. W. Cao, J. G. Yu, M. Jaroniec, Mater. Horizons, 2015, 2, 261-278.
[7] Q. J. Xiang, B. Cheng, J. G. Yu, Angew. Chem. Int. Ed., 2015, 54, 11350-11366.
[8] J. X. Low, B. Cheng, J. G. Yu, Appl. Surf. Sci., 2017, 392, 658-686.
[9] G. S. Li, D. Q. Zhang, J. C. Yu, Environ. Sci. Technol., 2009, 43, 7079-7085.
[10] G. Hitoki, T. Takata, J. N. Kondo, M. Hara, H. Kobayashi, K. Domen, Chem. Commun., 2002, 1698-1699.
[11] X. Wei, T. F. Xie, L. L. Peng, W. Fu, J. S. Chen, Q. Gao, G.Y. Hong, D. J. Wang, J. Phys. Chem. C, 2011, 115, 8637-8642.
[12] Y. P. Bi, J. H. Ye, Chem. Commun., 2009, 6551-6553.
[13] E. Reisner, D. J. Powell, C. Cavazza, J. C. Fontecilla-Camps, F. A. Armstrong, J. Am. Chem. Soc., 2009, 131, 18457-18466.
[14] Y. J. Wang, R. Shi, J. Lin, Y. F. Zhu, Energy Environ. Sci., 2011, 4, 2922-2929.
[15] B. A. Parkinson, P. F. Weaver, Nature, 1984, 309, 148-149.
[16] L. L. Yin, M. Zhao, H. L. Hu, J. H. Ye, D. F. Wang, Chin. J. Catal., 2017, 38, 1307-1314.
[17] H. Bouzid, M. Faisal, F. A. Harraz, S. A. Al-Sayari, A. A. Ismail, Catal. Today, 2015, 252, 20-26.
[18] W. L. Yu, J. F. Zhang, T. Y. Peng, Appl. Catal. B, 2016, 181, 220-227.
[19] M. J. Zhou, X. H. Gao, Y. Hu, J. F. Chen, X. Hu, Appl. Catal. B, 2013, 138-139, 1-8.
[20] S. T. Kochuveedu, Y. H. Jang, Y. J. Jang, D. H. Kim, J. Mater. Chem. A, 2013, 1, 898-905.
[21] J. Shim, J. K. Kim, K. S. Lee, C. L. Lee, M. Ma, W. K. Choi, J. Y. Hwang, H. Y. Yang, B. Angadi, J. H. Park, K. Yu, D. I. Son, Nano Energy, 2016, 25, 9-17.
[22] H. B. Fu, T. G. Xu, S. B. Zhu, Y. F. Zhu, Environ. Sci. Technol., 2008, 42, 8064-8069.
[23] L. W. Zhang, H. Y. Cheng, R. L. Zong, Y. F. Zhu, J. Phys. Chem. C, 2009, 113, 2368-2374.
[24] H. Zhang, R. L. Zong, Y. F. Zhu, J. Phys. Chem. C, 2009, 113, 4605-4611.
[25] X. Y. Zhang, J. Q. Qin, R. R. Hao, L. M. Wang, X. Shen, R. C. Yu, S. Limpanart, M. Z. Ma, R. P. Liu, J. Phys. Chem. C, 2015, 119, 20544-20554.
[26] S. W. Liu, J. H. Wang, J. G. Yu, RSC Adv., 2016, 6, 59998-60006.
[27] F. X. Wang, L. Liang, L. Shi, M. S. Liu, J. M. Sun, Dalton Trans., 2014, 43, 16441-16449.
[28] Y. G. Lin, Y. K. Hsu, Y. C. Chen, L. C. Chen, S. Y. Chen, K. H. Chen, Na-noscale, 2012, 4, 6515-6519.
[29] S. Cho, J. W. Jang, J. S. Lee, K. H. Lee, CrystEngComm, 2010, 12, 3929-3935.
[30] D. F. Wang, Z. G. Zou, J. H. Ye, Chem. Mater., 2005, 17, 3255-3261.
[31] D. J. Yang, H. W. Liu, Z. F. Zheng, Y. Yuan, J. C. Zhao, E. R. Waclawik, X. B. Ke, H. Y. Zhu, J. Am. Chem. Soc., 2009, 131, 17885-17893.
[32] T. Wang, R. Lü, P. Zhang, C. J. Li, J. L. Gong, Nanoscale, 2015, 7, 77-81.
[33] C. L. Zhang, M. F. Shao, F. Y. Ning, S.M. Xu, Z. H. Li, M. Wei, D. G. Evans, X. Duan, Nano Energy, 2015, 12, 231-239.
[34] A. I. Hochbaum, P. D.Yang, Chem. Rev., 2010, 110, 527-546.
[35] G. M. Wang, X. Y. Yang, F. Qian, J. Z. Zhang, Y. Li, Nano Lett., 2010, 10, 1088-1092.
[36] J. B. Mu, C. L. Shao, Z. C. Guo, Z. Y. Zhang, M. Y. Zhang, P. Zhang, B. Chen, Y. C. Liu, ACS Appl. Mater. Interfaces, 2011, 3, 590-596.
[37] C. Han, M. Q. Yang, B. Weng, Y. J. Xu, Phys. Chem. Chem. Phys., 2014, 16, 16891-16903.
[38] Y. Guo, H. S. Wang, C. L. He, L. J. Qiu, X. B. Cao, Langmuir, 2009, 25, 4678-4684.
[39] H. Yu, H.C. Zhang, H. Huang, Y. Liu, H. T. Li, H. Ming, Z. H. Kang, New J. Chem., 2012, 36, 1031-1035.
[40] S. Akir, A. Hamdi, A. Addad, Y. Coffinier, R. Boukherroub, A. Dakhlaoui Omrani, Appl. Surf. Sci., 2017, 400, 461-470.
[41] J. Q. Qin, X. Y. Zhang, Y. N. Xue, N. Kittiwattanothai, P. Kongsittikul, N. Rodthongkum, S. Limpanart, M. Z. Ma, R. P. Liu, Appl. Surf. Sci., 2014, 321, 226-232.
[42] Y. G. Peng, J. L. Ji, D. J. Chen, Appl. Surf. Sci., 2015, 356, 762-768.
[43] Q. Tang, W. J. Zhou, J. M. Shen, W. Zhang, L. F. Kong, Y. T. Qian, Chem. Commun., 2004, 712-713.
[44] P. C. Eklund, J. M. Holden, R. A. Jishi, Carbon, 1995, 33, 959-972.
[45] D. R. Dreyer, S. Park, C. W. Bielawski, R. S. Ruoff, Chem. Soc. Rev., 2010, 39, 228-240.
[46] O. Akhavan, Carbon, 2011, 49, 11-18.
[47] T. G. Xu, L. W. Zhang, H. Y. Cheng, Y. F. Zhu, Appl. Catal. B, 2011, 101, 382-387.
[48] N. Li, G. Liu, C. Zhen, F. Li, L. L. Zhang, H. M. Cheng, Adv. Funct. Mater., 2011, 21, 1717-1722.
[49] J. P. Liu, Y. Y. Li, R.M. Ding, J. Jiang, Y. Y. Hu, X. X. Ji, Q. B. Chi, Z. H. Zhu, X. T. Huang, J. Phys. Chem. C, 2009, 113, 5336-5339.
[50] E. Rokhsat, O. Akhavan, Appl. Surf. Sci., 2016, 371, 590-595.
[51] J. M. Zhang, M. Vasei, Y. H. Sang, H. Liu, J. P. Claverie, ACS Appl. Mater. Interfaces, 2016, 8, 1903-1912.
[52] Y. Hu, X. H. Gao, L. Yu, Y. R. Wang, J. Q. Ning, S. J. Xu, X. W. Lou, Angew. Chem. Int. Ed., 2013, 52, 5636-5639.
[53] L. P. Wu, Y. L. Zhang, X. J. Li, C. P. Cen, Phys. Chem. Chem. Phys., 2014, 16, 15339-15345.
[54] J. L. Ouyang, M. L. Chang, X. J. Li, J. Mater. Sci., 2012, 47, 4187-4193.
[55] Y. S. Liao, Z. N. Hu, Q. Gu, C. Xue, Molecules, 2015, 20, 18847-18855.