Flower-like ZnO-Ag(2)O composites: precipitation synthesis and photocatalytic activity

Ag(2)O-decorated flower-like ZnO composites were fabricated through a chemical precipitation process. X-ray diffraction analysis confirms the co-existence of cubic Ag(2)O and wurtzite ZnO phases. Scanning electron microscopy images reveal Ag(2)O nanoparticles located on the rough surface of ZnO flowers. The photocatalytic activities of the composites with various mole ratios were evaluated by the degradation of methyl orange (MO) under ultraviolet irradiation, which confirms that the composite shows superior activity to that of pure ZnO and Ag(2)O. The improvement can be ascribed to the deposited Ag(2)O forming the p-n junction at the interface of ZnO and Ag(2)O, resulting in the transfer of photocarriers and suppressing the electron–hole recombination rate.