title: Controlled orientation in a bio-inspired assembly of Ag/AgCl/ZnO nanostructures enables enhancement in visible-light-induced photocatalytic performance.
abstract: In a bio-inspired approach, polyamine-mediated mineralization of ZnO was explored to develop an environmentally benign methodology for synthesizing Ag/AgCl/ZnO nanostructures. The assembling properties displayed by the polyamines to create composite structures was utilized to have the nanocomponents effectively interact with each other in a way that is desirable for the application envisaged. The polyamines, which act as a mineralizing agent for ZnO nanoparticles, also facilitate the formation of Ag/AgCl within ZnO under ambient conditions. Thus synthesized Ag/AgCl/ZnO nanostructures represent a multi-heterojunction system in which the nanocomponents lead in a synergistic way to enhancement in the photocatalytic activity under visible-light irradiation.
authors.affiliation: Nanomaterials Laboratory, Inorganic and Physical Chemistry Division, Indian Institute Chemical Technology, Tarnaka, Hyderabad-500607, India.
authors.forename: Gousia
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Begum
authors.forename: Joydeb
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Manna
authors.forename: Rohit Kumar
authors.initials: RK
authors.lastname: Rana
mesh_terms: D002384:Catalysis; D008027:Light; D015394:Molecular Structure; D053758:Nanoparticles / Q000737:chemistry*; D049329:Nanostructures / Q000737:chemistry*; D011073:Polyamines / Q000737:chemistry*; D012834:Silver / Q000737:chemistry*; D013499:Surface Properties; D015034:Zinc Oxide / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D011073:Polyamines; D012834:Silver; D015034:Zinc Oxide