title: Enhanced photocatalytic activity of Ag-ZnO hybrid plasmonic nanostructures prepared by a facile wet chemical method.
abstract: We report the synthesis of Ag-ZnO hybrid plasmonic nanostructures with enhanced photocatalytic activity by a facile wet-chemical method. The structural, optical, plasmonic and photocatalytic properties of the Ag-ZnO hybrid nanostructures were studied by X-ray diffraction (XRD), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), photoluminescence (PL) and UV-visible absorption spectroscopy. The effects of citrate concentration and Ag nanoparticle loading on the photocatalytic activity of Ag-ZnO hybrid nanostructures towards sun-light driven degradation of methylene blue (MB) have been investigated. Increase in citrate concentration has been found to result in the formation of nanodisk-like structures, due to citrate-assisted oriented attachment of ZnO nanoparticles. The decoration of ZnO nanostructures with Ag nanoparticles resulted in a significant enhancement of the photocatalytic degradation efficiency, which has been found to increase with the extent of Ag nanoparticle loading.
authors.affiliation: School of Basic and Applied Sciences, Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University, Dwarka, New Delhi 110078, India.
authors.forename: Sini
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kuriakose
authors.affiliation: School of Basic and Applied Sciences, Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University, Dwarka, New Delhi 110078, India.
authors.forename: Vandana
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Choudhary
authors.affiliation: Saha Institute of Nuclear Physics, 1/AF Bidhannagar, Kolkata 700064, India.
authors.forename: Biswarup
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Satpati
authors.affiliation: School of Basic and Applied Sciences, Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University, Dwarka, New Delhi 110078, India.
authors.forename: Satyabrata
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Mohapatra
keywords: Ag–ZnO; hybrid plasmonic nanostructures; photocatalysis