Investigation of photocatalytic activity of ZnO promoted hydrothermally synthesized ZnWO4 nanorods in UV-visible light irradiation

Hydrothermally synthesized Zinc tungstate (ZnWO4, ZWO) nanorod with high aspect ratio is coupled with ZnO to design a photoactive ZnO/ZWO heterostructure. The morphological characterizations and surface measurements indicated ZnO nanoparticles embedded over well crystallized ZnWO4 nanorods thereby increasing specific surface area. The kinetic studies of the salicylic acid photodegradation showed the enhanced photoactivity of ZnO/ZWO heterostructure as compared to the individual nanostructures. This is attributed to the selective photoexcitation of the semiconductors that prolonged the lifetime of the charged species further confirmed by the conductivity measurements and trapping experiments. (C) 2019 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.