Strategies over the construction with the systematically designed core-shell form of p-n junction based heterostructural arrays are of interest for effective photocatalysis and photosensing. These core-shell based junctions minimize the recombination of photoinduced charge carriers and effective charge separation. Heterostructural platform was synthesized via three-step process involving solution grown ZnO NR followed by sputtering of CuO and followed by the sulfidation reaction. Sulfidation of ZnO-CuO heterostructure resulted in the formation of an additional ZnS layer at the ZnO-CuS interface. This favors the formation of ternary ZnO-ZnS-CuS nanostructural arrays which commendably enhances the visible light (sunlight) driven photocatalytic and photo sensing properties. Realization of ZnO-ZnS-CuS core-shell-shell nanostructural arrays has been successfully confirmed from the PXRD, FESEM, TEM, HRTEM and EDS elemental mapping. Loading of narrow band gap material such as CuO and CuS as a shell layer, improves the visible absorbance on the nanoarrays and enhances the photoinduced charge separation efficiency. Photocatalytic behavior of the ternary form of ZnO-ZnS-CuS core shell arrays over the Rhodamine B (RhB) dye has exhibited enhanced photo degradation rate of about 3.1, 1.6, and 2.3 times higher than that of bare ZnO, ZnO-CuO, ZnS-CuS core shell structures. The extended contact interface between the core-shell surface increased the light absorption in visible region. Meanwhile, the generation of ZnS layer increased the charge transfer across the interface and consequently promoted the separation of photogenerated electrons and holes. Our results show the construction of a compatible frame of narrow band shell layer based heterostructures for the sun light driven photocatlytic applications. DFT simulations of charge transport across the interface will be discussed.

Visible light driven photocatalytic properties of vertically aligned ZnO-CuS core-shell nanorod arrays: Importance of the coupling interface by the in situ generated ZnS shell layer

254th National Meeting (2017)

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