Abstract
Energy shortage and escalating pollution are major challenges globally. Heterogeneous photocatalysis is one of the most cost-effective methods for producing renewable energy and removing pollutants. In particular, ZnO nanostructures are promising photocatalysts that are economic, stable, and biologically safe. ZnO-based nanoheterostructures have been used for heavy metal reduction, organic pollutants degradation, photocatalytic hydrogen production, and drug mineralization. Here, we review ZnO-based nanoheterojunctions as photocatalysts for hydrogen production and pollutant degradation. Hydrogen production has reached 1200 mol g−1 h−1 using Ce-doped ZnO/ZnS heterojunction, with a 8.5-fold higher efficiency than bare ZnO. Nearly complete removal of a dye pollutant was achieved in 15 min using hybrid ethyl cellulose-modified g-C3N4/ZnO. Moreover, ZnO/Ag2WO4/Fe3O4 showed a 152% and 143% higher antibiotic degradation rate than bare Ag2WO4 and ZnO, respectively. We present methods to modify ZnO, including coupling with other semiconductors, metal/non-metal doping, and carbon-based materials coupling; and methods for charge divergence in binary and ternary ZnO-based nanocomposites.
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Abbreviations
- BCN:
-
Boron carbon nitride
- CB:
-
Conduction band
- CIP:
-
Ciprofloxacin
- DRS:
-
Diffuse reflectance spectroscopy
- g-C3N4 :
-
Graphitic carbon nitride
- GO:
-
Graphene oxide
- HRTEM:
-
High-resolution transmission electron microscopy
- MB:
-
Methylene blue
- MO:
-
Methyl orange
- OTC:
-
Oxytetracycline
- PE-CVD:
-
Plasma-enhanced chemical vapour deposition
- PL:
-
Photoluminescence
- RhB:
-
Rhodamine B
- R6G:
-
Rhodamine 6G
- RGO:
-
Reduced graphene oxide
- SEM:
-
Scanning electron microscopy
- SAED:
-
Selected area electron diffraction
- TEM:
-
Transmission electron microscopy
- UV:
-
Ultraviolet
- VB:
-
Valance band
- XRD:
-
X-ray powder diffraction
- 4-NP:
-
4-Nitrophenol
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Dhiman, P., Rana, G., Kumar, A. et al. ZnO-based heterostructures as photocatalysts for hydrogen generation and depollution: a review. Environ Chem Lett 20, 1047–1081 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10311-021-01361-1
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10311-021-01361-1