Noble metal nanoparticle-functionalized ZnO nanoflowers for photocatalytic degradation of RhB dye and electrochemical sensing of hydrogen peroxide

Flower-like hierarchical Zinc oxide nanostructures synthesized by co-precipitation method have been hydrothermally functionalized with 8 nm Au NPs and 15 nm Ag nanoparticles. The photocatalytic and electrochemical performance of these structures are investigated. XPS studies show that the composite...

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Published in:Journal of nanoparticle research : an interdisciplinary forum for nanoscale science and technology 2016-04, Vol.18 (4), p.1, Article 95
Main Authors: Hussain, Muhammad, Sun, Hongyu, Karim, Shafqat, Nisar, Amjad, Khan, Maaz, ul Haq, Anwar, Iqbal, Munawar, Ahmad, Mashkoor
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Characterization and Evaluation of Materials
Chemistry and Materials Science
Inorganic Chemistry
Lasers
Materials Science
Nanoparticles
Nanotechnology
Optical Devices
Optics
Photonics
Physical Chemistry
Research Paper
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Summary:Flower-like hierarchical Zinc oxide nanostructures synthesized by co-precipitation method have been hydrothermally functionalized with 8 nm Au NPs and 15 nm Ag nanoparticles. The photocatalytic and electrochemical performance of these structures are investigated. XPS studies show that the composite exhibits a strong interaction between noble metal nanoparticles (NPs) and Zinc oxide nanoflowers. The PL spectra exhibit UV emission arising due to near band edge transition and show that the reduced PL intensities of Au–ZnO and Ag–ZnO composites are responsible for improved photocatalytic activity arising due to increase in defects. Moreover, the presence of Au NPs on ZnO surface remarkably enhances photocatalytic activity as compared to Ag–ZnO and pure ZnO due to the higher catalytic activity and stability of Au NPs. On the other hand, Ag–ZnO-modified glassy carbon electrode shows good amperometric response to hydrogen peroxide (H 2 O 2 ), with linear range from 1 to 20 µM, and detection limit of 2.5 µM (S/N = 3). The sensor shows high and reproducible sensitivity of 50.8 μA cm −2 μM −1 with a fast response less than 3 s and good stability as compared to pure ZnO and Au–ZnO-based sensors. All these results show that noble metal NPs-functionalized ZnO base nanocomposites exhibit great prospects for developing efficient non-enzymatic biosensor and environmental remediators. Graphical abstract ZnO nanoflowers functionalized with noble metal nanoparticles enhance photocatalytic degradation of RhB dye and electrochemical sensing of hydrogen peroxide.
ISSN:1388-0764
1572-896X
DOI:10.1007/s11051-016-3397-y