Well-Aligned ZnO Nanotube/Polyaniline Photocatalysts for Enhanced Photocatalytic Performances

A well-aligned ZnO nanotube array has been successfully synthesized without depositing a layer of ZnO seeds, for the first time, on a glass substrate by a hydrothermal reaction. Subsequently, the oriented ZnO nanotube array was integrated with polyaniline (PANi) to form hybrid ZnO nanotube/PANi photocatalysts, which showed excellent photocatalytic activity for the photodegradation of Rhodamine B (RB). It was found that the photocatalytic performance under ultraviolet and visible light irradiation depended on the doping level of PANi. An investigation of photodegradation kinetics of RB indicated that the photocatalytic process showed first-order kinetics. The photodegradation mechanisms of RB dye under ultraviolet and visible light irradiation were also investigated.