Photocatalytic Degradation of Hydrothermally Grown Zinc Oxide Nanorods on a Silver Seed Layer

Photocatalytic degradation of organic pollutants has emerged as a promising green technology. In this study, we present a facile approach to enhance photocatalytic performance by fabricating zinc oxide (ZnO) nanorods (NRs)/silver (Ag) seed layer heterojunctions. The heterojunction fabrication process involves the deposition of a Ag seed layer via spin coating, followed by hydrothermal growth of vertically aligned ZnO NRs (∼2 ± 0.20 μm length, ∼200 nm diameter) on the seed layer at 80 ± 2 °C for 80 min. The growth of ZnO NRs on the Ag seed layer formed a metal–semiconductor heterojunction at their contact surfaces, significantly increasing the surface-to-volume ratio. The appearance of a double band regime at 3.06 eV for Ag and 3.37 eV for ZnO NRs confirms the formation of the Ag–ZnO heterojunctions. Photocatalytic efficacy is demonstrated by the degradation efficiency of methylene blue under UV light irradiation, surpassing previous approaches using ZnO-based photocatalysts. This enhanced degradation efficiency is attributed to the synergistic effects between ZnO and Ag, promoting efficient charge separation and reducing photocorrosion. This research provides a promising approach for designing highly efficient photocatalysts aimed at environmental remediation.