Ag/ZnO heterostructures and their photocatalytic activity under visible light: effect of reducing medium

Decoration of ZnO by Ag is a promising method to improve its photocatalytic activity and extend the photoreactivity to the visible light. In this paper, Ag/ZnO heterostructures have been synthesised by photoreduction in various reducing mediums. When the Ag/ZnO nanocomposite arrays were obtained in the air, only a small amount of Ag was reduced. Ag nanosheets and nanoparticles were formed in the water and attached on the top and side surfaces of ZnO nanorods, forming Ag/ZnO heterostructures with a nano(sheet-rod-particle) multi-level structure. In the mixture of water and ethanol, a large amount of Ag nanoclusters was produced and embedded in the ZnO nanorod arrays. The influence of reducing mediums on the microstructure, morphology, quantity and dispersion of Ag nanostructures was investigated; and the effect of Ag component on the optical properties and visible light driven photocatalytic behaviour of the Ag/ZnO heterostructures was discussed.