Effect of Noble Metal (Au and Pt) on Chemical Bath Deposited ZnO Nanorods over Glass and FTO Substrate: Insights into Photo(electro)chemical and Photocatalytic Properties

Abstract

Zinc oxide (ZnO) nanorods have gained a significant focus in research because of their impressive thermal stability and fascinating optical, chemical, and electrical properties. This work used the Chemical Bath Deposition method (CBD) to grow ZnO nanorods over solid surfaces like glass and Fluorine-doped tin oxide (FTO) substrates. Powder X-ray diffraction (P-XRD), UV–visible spectroscopy, and Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) based characterisation techniques were used to examine the phase, optical and morphological properties of ZnO nanorods. The objective of this study is to gather an understanding of the photo(electro)chemical and photocatalytic behaviour of CBD-synthesized ZnO nanorods on FTO substrate following noble metal deposition. We used gold (Au) and platinum (Pt) noble metals and deposited them over the ZnO surface using a photo-reduction technique. The photocatalytic and photo(electro)chemical response of the obtained nanostructures was studied.