Polyamine-Mediated Interfacial Assembly of rGO-ZnO Nanostructures: A Bio-inspired Approach and Enhanced Photocatalytic Properties.

A bio-inspired approach for the fabrication of reduced graphene oxide (rGO) embedded ZnO nanostructure has been attempted to address issues pertaining to charge recombination and photocorrosion in ZnO for application as an effective photocatalyst. Herein we demonstrate the synthesis of rGO-ZnO nanostructures in a single step using polyamines, which simultaneously aid in the mineralization of ZnO nanostructures from zinc nitrate, reduction of graphene oxide (GO), and finally their assembly to form rGO-ZnO composite structures under environmentally benign conditions. The interspersed nanocomponents in the assembled heterostructures result in enhanced photocatalytic activity under UV light, indicating an effective charge separation of the excited electrons. Furthermore, the composite structure provides stability against photocorrosion for efficient recyclability of the catalyst.