Oxygen Defect Sn-Doped ZnO Nanorods for Enhanced Photocatalytic Activity under Visible Light Irradiation
Jingwei Wang, Xiaohui Sun, Hong Du
Abstract
Abstract— Sn doped ZnO (SZO) nanorods with oxygen-vacancy have been synthesized by one-step hydrothermal method. Detailed analysis based on X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), transmission electron microscope (HRTEM), and electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) has revealed that Sn doped ZnO nanorods are rich in oxygen-vacancies. Oxygen-vacancies lead to the band-gap narrowing of Sn doped ZnO nanorods due to broadening the valence band and an increase the visible-light response which results in high photocurrent responses and photocatalytic performance of Rhodamine B under visible-light illumination. Sn doped ZnO sample exhibits little decrease in activity even after 4 cycles, indicating that Sn doped ZnO is stable and not photocorroded easily.