Novel visible light-induced ZnSe/TiO2 nanorod heterojunction for efficient photocatalysis and degradation of methyl orange

Photocatalytic has received considerable attention for hydrogen production and degradation of organic matter. For TiO2, however, its wide applications are severely limited by low utilization of visible light and fast recombination of photogenerated carriers. Novel visible light-induced ZnSe/TiO2 nanorod heterojunction photocatalyst was obtained by a physical method of glancing angle deposition technology. The TiO2 nanorods can increase specific surface area, resulting in more reactive sites. Besides, the introduction of ZnSe can increase visible-light absorption ability and promote the separation of photogenic carriers, improving photocatalytic efficiency. Photocurrent density of ZnSe/TiO2 reached a maximum of 0.55 mA/cm2, which was more than two times higher than that of pure TiO2 nanorods (0.24 mA/cm2). The prepared ZnSe/TiO2 nanorod heterojunction materials were also employed as photocatalysts for the degradation of methyl orange under visible light illumination. It exhibited higher photodegradation efficiency in comparison with those of pure TiO2 nanorod. Importantly, a possible mechanism of photocatalytic degradation was proposed.