Photocatalytic Properties of Doped Zinc Oxide and Related Nanostructures

Zinc oxide (ZnO) is a wide-band-gap semiconductor renowned for its strong oxidative potential under ultraviolet irradiation. Doping ZnO with transition-metal or non-metal ions tailors its band structure, extends light absorption into the visible region and suppresses electron–hole recombination. Combined with controlled nanostructuring—into rods, wires, plates or hierarchical assemblies—doped ZnO exhibits enhanced surface area, active site density and charge-transport properties. These features underpin advances in environmental remediation, solar-driven hydrogen evolution and antimicrobial treatments. Research has focused on identifying optimal dopant species and concentrations, understanding defect-mediated charge dynamics and refining synthesis protocols to yield reproducible morphologies and stable performance under realistic conditions.

Research from Nature Portfolio

Recent studies have explored the synthesis of Fe–Cd co-doped ZnO nanoparticles via sol–gel methods, achieving extended visible-light absorption and enhanced photocatalytic degradation rates of organic dyes. Structural analyses confirm successful metal incorporation and high surface area. The optimised nanoparticles exhibit rate constants exceeding those of undoped ZnO and maintain over 90 % activity after multiple reuse cycles. Mechanistic investigations reveal that co-doping reduces electron–hole recombination and promotes the formation of reactive oxygen species, accounting for the elevated performance under visible-light irradiation.

Photocatalytic Properties of Doped Zinc Oxide and Related Nanostructures publication trend

The graph below shows the total number of articles in photocatalytic properties of doped zinc oxide and related nanostructures across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).

Technical terms

Photocatalysis: Acceleration of a chemical reaction by a semiconductor that absorbs light and generates reactive charge carriers.

Doping: Introduction of foreign atoms into a crystal lattice to modify its electronic structure and optical absorption.

Band gap: Energy difference between the valence band and conduction band of a semiconductor, determining the wavelength of light absorbed.

Electron–hole recombination: Process by which a photogenerated electron returns to a hole, reducing the number of carriers available for surface reactions.

Wurtzite: Hexagonal crystal structure characteristic of ZnO, influencing its polar surfaces and electronic properties.

References

1. Band gap engineered zinc oxide nanostructures via a sol–gel synthesis of solvent driven shape-controlled crystal growth. RSC Advances (2019).
2. Influence of Mg Doping on ZnO Nanoparticles for Enhanced Photocatalytic Evaluation and Antibacterial Analysis. Discover Nano (2018).
3. Enhanced visible light photodegradation activity of RhB/MB from aqueous solution using nanosized novel Fe-Cd co-modified ZnO. Scientific Reports (2018).