Laser-assisted synthesis of ZnO/ZnSe hybrid nanostructured films for enhanced solar-light induced water splitting and water decontamination

In this work, a novel method was developed to synthesize visible light-responsive ZnO/ZnSe photocatalysts, using rapid, simple Pulsed Laser Ablation of Solids in Liquids (PLASL) method. Using this method, we synthesized high-purity ZnO/ZnSe hybrid nanostructures with an optimum weight ratio of 10:4, which exhibited better photocatalytic activity. The addition of ZnSe on the ZnO semiconductor surface improved the light absorption of the composites and simultaneously decreased the photoluminescence emission intensity, which is an indicator of the inhibition of the electron-hole recombination rate. The nanostructured composites synthesized using the PLASL method were applied for photo-electrochemical water splitting and photo-degradation studies. The synthesized ZnO/ZnSe hybrid nanocomposites exhibited excellent visible-light-driven photocatalytic activity, which is highly desirable for water decontamination and photo-electrochemical water oxidation. This work, therefore, empirically demonstrates how this simple, cost-effective laser-based technique can be employed to rapidly synthesize high-purity, visible-light responsive photocatalysts expanding the potential for future solar energy conversion technologies.