Novel photoluminescence properties and enhanced photocatalytic activities for V2O5-loaded ZnO nanorods

Abstract

Three different kinds of V₂O₅/ZnO heteronanorods were synthesized through a CVD process and oxidized in air at temperatures of 350, 420 and 500 °C. These 1D heteronanorods were formed from ZnO nanorods (NRs) coated with V₂O₅ nanoparticles (NPs). With the rise of oxidation temperature, the coated V₂O₅ NPs were found to be growing and their crystallinity gradually improved. Photoluminescence (PL) spectra for these V₂O₅/ZnO samples exhibited some novel characteristics, such as the appearance of new emission peaks, the variation in PL intensity, and the tremendously enhanced visible emission for the 500 °C sample. Photocatalysis investigation for all V₂O₅/ZnO samples showed enhanced photocatalytic activities compared to their single-component counterparts. Furthermore, their photocatalytic activities were also influenced by the oxidation temperature. The 350 °C sample showed the highest photocatalytic activity, and gradually decreased photocatalytic activities were observed for the other two samples. The novel PL properties and enhanced photocatalytic activities were attributed to the coupling between ZnO NRs and V₂O₅ NPs, and can be attributed to the collective effect of the V-doped ZnO layer near the interface, the decreased defect concentration in V₂O₅ NPs, and the improved particle crystallinity.