Fine Tuning of the Face Orientation of ZnO Crystals to Optimize Their Photocatalytic Activity

Abstract

Morphology-controlled nano- and microcrystals of ZnO (see figure) with different ratios of polar to nonpolar faces were synthesized through a soft-solution process. With these crystals, it is clearly demonstrated that a ZnO nanoplate with a large population of polar Zn(0001) faces is the most photocatalytically active morphology, underscoring the importance of the fine-tuning of face orientation in optimizing the activity of photocatalysts. Supporting information for this article is available on the WWW under http://www.wiley-vch.de/contents/jc_2089/2006/c1455_s.pdf or from the author. Please note: The publisher is not responsible for the content or functionality of any supporting information supplied by the authors. Any queries (other than missing content) should be directed to the corresponding author for the article.