Core/shell structured Zn/ZnO nanoparticles synthesized by gaseous laser ablation with enhanced photocatalysis efficiency

Publication date: 1 June 2018
Source:Applied Surface Science, Volume 442
Author(s): Lu Song, Yafei Wang, Jing Ma, Qinghua Zhang, Zhijian Shen
Zinc oxide (ZnO) is a competitive candidate in semiconductor photocatalysts, only if the efficiency could be fully optimized especially by tailored nanostructures. Here we report a kind of core/shell structured Zn/ZnO nanoparticles with enhanced photocatalysis efficiency, which were synthesized by a highly-productive gaseous laser ablation method. The nanodroplets generated by laser ablation would be reduced to zinc in the protective atmosphere, and further be oxidized at surface to form a specific core/shell structured Zn/ZnO nanoparticles within seconds. Thanks to the formation of this Zn-ZnO Schottky junction, the photocatalysis degradation efficiency of such core/shell Zn/ZnO nanostructure is significantly improved owing to the enhanced visible light absorption and inhibited carrier recombination by introducing the metallic zinc.

Graphical abstract

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