Zinc Oxide nanorod/Au composite arrays and their enhanced photocatalytic properties.

In this paper, a high-performance photocatalyst of ZnO nanorod/Au composite arrays (ZAs) was synthesized via a facile low-temperature wet chemical method. The samples were characterized using field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), photoluminescence (PL) emission spectroscopy and ultraviolet-visible (UV-Vis) absorption. The unique nanostructured composite showed great adsorptivity of dyes, extended light absorption range, and efficient charge separation properties simultaneously. Hence, a significant enhancement in the photocatalytic properties in comparison with pure ZnO as demonstrated in photodegradation of methyl orange due to the incorporation of Au nanoparticles in ZnO nanorods.