CuO/ZnO Heterojunction Nanorod Arrays Prepared by Photochemical Method with Improved UV Detecting Performance

CuO/ZnO heterojunction nanorod arrays were synthesized using a facile photochemical deposition strategy. The morphology of CuO was related to the concentration of Cu2+ in the Cu(NO3)2 solution, UV illumination time, and the air annealing temperature. A possible reaction mechanism was proposed. In the photochemical deposition process, the OH- was generated in the vicinity of the ZnO nanorod arrays and reacted with Cu2+ and NO3- in the solution to form Cu2(NO3)(OH)3/ZnO heterojunction nanorod arrays firstly, which were converted into CuO/ZnO heterojunction nanorod arrays completely after air annealing at a low temperature. The fabricated CuO/ZnO heterojunction nanorod arrays exhibits a well-defined rectifying characteristic and an improved photo-response performance compared with pure ZnO nanorod arrays.