Photocatalytically active heteronanostructure; synthesis, characterization, and application.

摘要

The synthesis of a heteronanostructure consisting of ZnO nanorods grown on titanate (TiO2-based) nanowire scaffold was accomplished through a hydrothermal synthesis using structural directing agents. Composite structures of TiO2 and ZnO are not commonly noted in the literature. The absence is probably due to the difficulty to grow one structure on the other because of the lattice mismatch between the two crystalline structures. However, through the site-specific nucleation process using amines, wurtzite ZnO nanrods were grown on the titanate (TiO2-based) nanowires comprising the scaffold.;This thesis represents the first study, to our knowledge, of a single nanoscale heterostructure consisting of both components tested as a photocatalyst. When compared to the industrial photocatalytic standard, TiO2 P-25, the heterostructure outperforms it in the degradation of an azo dye, crystal violet.