Visible-light driven photocatalytic performance of eco-friendly cobalt-doped ZnO nanoarrays: Influence of morphology, cobalt doping, and photocatalytic efficiency

• Published in: Spectrochimica acta. Part A, Molecular and biomolecular spectroscopy Vol. 274; p. 121103
• Main Authors: Zhang, Jiyong, Xu, Xinru, Zhang, Wentao, Huang, Yi, Zhang, Peicong
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier B.V 05-06-2022
• Subjects: Cobalt; Degradation; Nanoarray; Photocatalysis; ZnO; Degradation; ZnO; Nanoarray; Cobalt; Photocatalysis
• ISSN: 1386-1425
• DOI: 10.1016/j.saa.2022.121103

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•Co2+-doped ZnO nanoarrays was first grown on substrate and used as photocatalyst.•Co2+ was doped to improve the photocatalytic activity under visible-light induction.•Co2+-doped ZnO efficiently remove organic pollutants for environmental protection.
In order to remove the organic pollution from water environment, Co2+-doped ZnO nanoarray photocatalyst was prepared through a hydrothermal process. The influences of Co2+ doping amount and hydrothermal temperature on the nanostructure and photocatalytic performance of Co2+-doped ZnO nanoarray were discussed in detail. The standard ZnO structure and nanoarray morphology of Co2+-doped ZnO samples were achieved and the absorption of visible light was also realized through Co2+ doping. The 2% Co2+-doped ZnO nanoarray prepared at 95 °C exhibited excellent photocatalytic activity and could degrade 96% of methylene blue solution within 120 min under visible light. Furthermore, the as-prepared 2% Co2+-doped ZnO nanoarray still maintained 91% for removal rate after 3 cycles of photocatalytic degradation, showed good photocatalytic activity and recyclability. All results indicate that ZnO nanoarray with Co2+ doping has a potential application in visible light photocatalysis for environmental protection and pollution control.