Two-Step Preparation of ZnO/ZnSe Heterostructure with Remarkable Photocatalytic Activity by Ultrasonic and Hydrothermal Approach

In order to improve the light absorption capacity of ZnO and reduce the charge recombination, the heterostructure of ZnO/ZnSe was prepared by a simple synthetic route. The heterostructure was composed of spherical ZnSe growing on ZnO rod, in which the ZnO rods were synthesized by an ultrasonic method. The concentration of ammonia in the reaction solution was the key factor to determine the nucleation and growth rate of ZnO/ZnSe heterostructure. In addition, the relationship between structure and photocatalytic activity was studied. Compared with bare ZnO rods and spherical ZnSe, as-prepared ZnO/ZnSe heterostructure exhibited excellent photocatalytic activity for the degradation of methyl orange dye, which was attributed to the effective charge transport performance generated by the coupling of ZnO and ZnSe.