Study on the Photocatalytic Properties of ZnO Nanorods Grown on ITO Conductive Glass

Abstract

This study addresses the remediation of structural pollution in water bodies by exploring environmentally friendly pathways for water pollution degradation. Vertically oriented ZnO nanorod arrays were successfully fabricated on conductive glass substrates via a hydrothermal method. Utilizing these arrays as photocatalytic materials, efficient degradation of organic pollutants was achieved under solar irradiation. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) characterization revealed that the fabricated ZnO nanorod arrays exhibit uniform density. The nanorods adopt a hexagonal prismatic structure, growing vertically on the substrate surface to form a highly porous structure with a large specific surface area. This morphology facilitates pollutant adsorption and enhances photocatalytic reaction efficiency. In photocatalytic performance testing, the ZnO nanorod array demonstrated outstanding degradation capabilities for two typical organic dye pollutants, methylene blue and rhodamine B. Under simulated sunlight irradiation, after a certain reaction time, its degradation efficiency for methylene blue reached 98.4%, while that for rhodamine B achieved 78%. These results conclusively demonstrate the prepared material's robust photocatalytic activity within the visible light spectrum. This study provides a viable material system and experimental basis for developing highly efficient, stable semiconductor photocatalysts and applying them to the treatment of refractory organic pollutants in water bodies.