Hydrothermal synthesis of In2O3–ZnO nanocomposite and their enhanced photocatalytic properties

In this study, an indium oxide–zinc oxide (In2O3–ZnO) nanocomposite is successfully synthesized via a facile hydrothermal process. The samples are characterized using X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, high-resolution transmission electron microscopy, ultraviolet–visible diffuse reflectance spectroscopy, Fourier–transform infrared spectroscopy, and so on. The photocatalytic test results show that the photocatalytic degradation of methyl orange efficiency of 15% In2O3–ZnO nanocomposite can be more than 96.62% after 120 min, which is much higher than that of In2O3 and ZnO particles. The enhanced photocatalytic activity is attributed to the reduction in electrons (e−) and holes (h+) recombination in the photocatalytic process; it allows the rapid separation of photo-generated charge carriers, thus enhancing their photocatalytic activity. Finally, a possible photocatalytic reaction mechanism is proposed.