Preparation of K+ doped ZnO nanorods with enhanced photocatalytic performance under visible light

Due to their ease of preparation, low cost and environmentally-friendly characteristics, zinc-type photocatalysts have attracted a lot of interest with regards to the photocatalytic degradation of organic pollutants. In this study, K+ doped ZnO (KZO) microcrystals were prepared from zinc acetate dehydrate and potassium hydroxide. X-ray diffraction analysis revealed the structure of the hexagonal wurtzite and the substitution of potassium ions in zinc oxide. A scanning electron microscope image showed the nanorod microstructure of prepared KZO crystallites. UV-visible analysis showed that the light absorption of KZO crystals expanded to the visible region and possessed a narrower band gap. In addition, the photocatalytic performance of KZO nanoparticles was evaluated. The results show that KZO possesses enhanced activity which is 3.45 times that of pure ZnO. This high performance in the photocatalytic degradation of organic pollutants can be ascribed to the band gap reduction, large surface area and improved transmission of charge carriers.