Ag decorated ZnO for enhanced photocatalytic H2 generation and pollutant degradation

In this study, Ag/ZnO photocatalyst is synthesized in ethylene glycol (EG) medium using a one-pot hydrothermal method, where EG serves as both a reaction medium for the synthesis and a reduction medium for silver. Standard analytical techniques such as XRD, XPS, SEM-EDX, TEM, HR-TEM FTIR, BET, and UV–Vis spectroscopy are used to characterize the synthesized samples. The XRD and HR-TEM results show that Ag has been decorated on the ZnO photocatalyst. The results show that spherical Ag/ZnO has the highest photocatalytic activity for H2 evolution (30.1 μmol h−1) and RhB degradation. The increased photocatalytic activity can be attributed to the formation of the Schottky barrier at the heterojunction interface of metal-semiconductor and the plasmonic resonance effect of silver, which results in efficient separation and transportation of photo-induced charge carriers. This research could open up new avenues for the development of advanced ZnO-based visible light photocatalytic materials to address energy and environmental challenges.