Synthesis of an ultra-thin Ni-membrane/ZnO-nanorod grass clump-like composite and its enhanced photocatalysis

Ultra-thin Ni-membranes were prepared by a biomimetic method, and then the ZnO nanorods were in situ grown on the Ni-membranes via a hydrothermal method to form a Ni-membrane/ZnO-nanorod grass clump-like composite. The morphology and structure of the samples were characterized via X-ray diffraction, field-emission scanning electron microscopy, and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy. Results showed that the ZnO nanorods growing on Ni-membranes form an array structure. The presence of the Ni-membranes not only promotes the separation efficiency of electron–hole pairs but also increases the photoabsorption efficiency. Photocatalytic degradation results show that the degradation efficiencies of rhodamine B (RhB) and methyl orange (MO) with the Ni-membrane/ZnO-nanorod composite are 1.78 and 1.48 times higher, respectively, than that with pure ZnO. ⋅OH radicals and ⋅O2−radicals were proved as the main reactive species in the catalytic degradation of MO.