C-doped ZnO decorated with Au nanoparticles constructed from the metal–organic framework ZIF-8 for photodegradation of organic dyes

Abstract

O was transformed into Au nanoparticles that were uniformly dispersed on the surface of C-ZnO as seen in TEM images. The photocatalytic activity of as-prepared catalysts was evaluated by the degradation of methyl orange under UV-vis light irradiation. It was found that the photocatalytic activity of Au/C-ZnO was better than C-ZnO and pure ZnO. Furthermore, Au/C-ZnO exhibited high photocatalytic stability. After three consecutive cycles, there was no noticeable deactivation in the reaction. This unusual photocatalytic activity was attributed to the synergistic effect of C-doping and Au NPs.