The photo-Fenton-like degradation of pollutants is dependent on the pH of solution. Here, we synthesized pristine ZnO nanorods, silver nanoparticle (AgNPs), and Ag-decorated ZnO (Ag/ZnO) composites. These materials were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and UV-visible (UV-vis) spectroscopy. Their catalytic activities were evaluated for the photo-Fenton-like degradation of 4-nitrophenol (4-NP) under visible-light irradiation at pH 4 and 7. Pristine ZnO nanorods exhibited higher catalytic activity than the Ag/ZnO composite at pH 4, while this trend reversed at pH 7. This pHdependent reversal is attributed to the interplay between the catalyst's surface charge and the speciation of 4-NP into its phenolate form. These findings demonstrate that the key factor for enhanced photocatalytic performance is not the noble metal decoration itself, but rather the interfacial charge and dominant reactive species
대표어
한국학술지인용색인(NRF)
