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Superhydrophilicity of photocatalytic ZnO/SnO2 heterostructure for self-cleaning applications

  • Original Paper: Functional coatings, thin films and membranes (including deposition techniques)
  • Published:
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Abstract

Sol–gel spin coating technique was used to deposit thin films of ZnO, SnO2, and ZnO/SnO2 on a borosilicate glass substrate. The films were characterized using XRD, FESEM, EDX, HRTEM, AFM, UV-Vis spectrophotometer, and contact angle meter. X-ray diffraction confirms the presence of both hexagonal wurtzite and tetragonal phase of ZnO and SnO2 respectively in ZnO/SnO2. Wettability studies reveal that ZnO/SnO2 film is superhydrophilic with water contact angle of 3.4°. The photocatalytic performance of the films is evaluated by measuring the degradation of an aqueous solution of methylene blue, methyl orange, and their mixture. The degradation of stearic acid adsorbed on the film’s surface is measured by tracking the water contact angle after UV irradiation as a function of time. The excellent photocatalytic activity of ZnO/SnO2 thin films is attributed to formation of type-II heterostructure between ZnO and SnO2, which inhibits the charge recombination between photogenerated electrons and holes. The ZnO/SnO2 shows good photocatalytic activity after five recycling runs. ZnO/SnO2 thin films being excellent photocatalyst along with its superhydrophilic nature will have potential application in self-cleaning and antifogging.

Highlights

  • SnO2, ZnO and ZnO/SnO2 thin films were prepared by a cost-effective sol-gel method.

  • ZnO/SnO2 thin films show superhydrophilic character.

  • Degradation of pollutants in solid and liquid phase was evaluated.

  • ZnO/SnO2 shows superior photocatalytic activity due to heterostructure formation.

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Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank the Science and Engineering Research Board, India, for financial assistance through a research project (YSS/2014/000133). The authors would also like to thank to Dr Sarathi Kundu of Institute of Advanced Study in Science and Technology, Guwahati, SAIF, IIT Bombay, and Central Manufacturing Technology Institute, Bangalore, for providing an experimental facility to take AFM, FESEM, and nanoindentation studies respectively.

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  1. Department of Physics, National Institute of Technology Nagaland, Chumukedima, 797103, India

    Talinungsang, Diliraj Upadhaya, Pankaj Kumar & Debarun Dhar Purkayastha

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  1. Talinungsang
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  2. Diliraj Upadhaya
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  3. Pankaj Kumar
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  4. Debarun Dhar Purkayastha
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Correspondence to Debarun Dhar Purkayastha.

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Talinungsang, Upadhaya, D., Kumar, P. et al. Superhydrophilicity of photocatalytic ZnO/SnO2 heterostructure for self-cleaning applications. J Sol-Gel Sci Technol 92, 575–584 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10971-019-05127-8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10971-019-05127-8

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