Hydrothermal preparation of WO3 nanorod array and ZnO nanosheet array composite structures on FTO substrates with enhanced photocatalytic properties

Abstract

We reported a simple and effective hydrothermal route for fabricating WO₃ nanorod array (WNR) and ZnO nanosheet array (ZNS) composite structures on FTO substrates. The morphology evolution of the WNRs grown on the FTO substrate and the ZNSs deposited on the WNRs was investigated by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), high resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD). The growth mechanisms of well aligned WNRs and ZNSs were intensively studied. Moreover, the optical and photocatalytic properties of the WNR–ZNS composite structures were also examined.