The preparation and photocatalytic properties of Na doped ZnO porous film composited with Ag nano-sheets

The precursors with porous skeleton structures were prepared by a sol-gel process with the different mass ratios of Zn source to glucose as the raw materials. Then Na doped ZnO films were deposited on the precursors by a chemical vapor deposition (CVD) method. Finally, the sample prepared with optimized conditions was composited with Ag nano-sheets via a chemical method, and a sample of Na doped ZnO porous film composited with Ag nano-sheets was obtained. The photocatalytic characteristics of the samples were investigated with the photocatalytic degradation of methyl orange (MO) solution at room temperature. With the modifications of the precursor structures, the following Na doping, and the final composite with Ag nano-sheets, the photocatalytic properties of the samples showed progressive improvement. The optimum photocatalytic performance was achieved in the sample composited with Ag sheets, with the mass ratio of Zn source to glucose as 8:1 precursor and the carrier flow rate of 75 sccm Na doping. The excellent photocatalytic performance attributed to the porous structure, the additional impurity energy levels, as well as the prolongation of exciton life.