ZnO micro/nanorods: their performance in the photocatalytic degradation and photodiode

In this study, ZnO micro/nanorods were grown on both glass and p-Si substrates by a simple and applicable homemade chemical spray pyrolysis method. X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) were used to analyze the structural and morphological features of the produced ZnO layers, revealing the presence of ZnO micro/nanorods with high crystallinity of various orientations and diameters. The interface performance of these ZnO micro/nanorod arrays in the Co/p-Si device was also investigated and the rectification ratio of the fabricated Co/ZnO micro-nanorods/p-Si device at ± 1 V was calculated in the order of 103. In addition, some photodiode parameters, such as responsivity, sensitivity, and specific detectivity, were investigated depending on the increased light power intensity from 150 to 300 mW/cm2. Finally, the performance of ZnO micro/nanorod arrays during degradation of Rhodamine B dyestuff under UVA light was investigated and it was concluded that they could have good photocatalytic activity in advanced oxidation processes. All results supported that ZnO micro/nanorod arrays obtained by a simple homemade chemical spray pyrolysis method in this study have the potential for optical applications. © 2023, The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH, DE part of Springer Nature.