A ZnO seed layer was formed on the fluorine-doped tin oxide substrate by magnetron sputtering, and then a ZnO nanorod was grown on the ZnO seed layer by a hydrothermal method. Next, we prepared a single-crystal Ag seed layer by magnetron sputtering to form a ZnO@Ag composite heterostructure. Finally, Ag3PO4 crystals were grown on the Ag seed layer by a stepwise deposition method to obtain a ZnO@Ag@Ag3PO4 ternary heterojunction. The composite heterostructure of the material has super strong hydrophilicity and can be combined with water-soluble pollutants very well. Besides, it has excellent anti-reflection performance, which can absorb light from all angles. When Ag exists in the heterojunction, it can effectively improve the separation of photo-generated electrons and holes, and improve the photoelectric conversion performance. Based on the above characteristics, this nano-heterostructure can be used in the fields of solar cells, sensors, light-emitting devices, and photocatalysis.
Keywords: ZnO@Ag@Ag3PO4; heterojunction; nanorods; photocatalytic; photogenerated electron.