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The pulsed laser ablation technique is a safe and eco-friendly method, this technique was used to prepare gold (Au) and zinc oxide (ZnO) in two forms, both as core:shell nanoparticles (CS NPs) and a nanocomposite (NC). The absorption behaviour for Au/ZnO NCs and Au:ZnO CS NPs was investigated the UV-visible of Au NPs peak at 525 nm whiles the peak of the ZnO NPs at 375 nm. Transmission electron microscope (TEM) images show the average size of Au NPs is 30–45 nm adhering to ZnO NPs with an average size of 55–60 nm. In Au/ZnO CSNPs, Au acts as a core while the ZnO nanoparticles produced a shell; in spherical gold nanoparticles, the average shell thickness of ZnO is 10–15 nm. As synthesised, the Au:ZnO CSNPs are endowed with high photocatalytic activity even after multiple cycles of photo-catalytic reactions when compared with Au/ZnO NCs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, prepared Au:ZnO core-shell nanoparticles (CSNPs) by pulse laser ablation in liquid (PLAL), and succeed to control of growth the ZnO NPs and play a role as a shell decorated on surface of Au NPs as a core. The structure, morphology and visual qualities were examined. The XRD result explained the phase of ZnO NPs was wurtzite structure, and for Au NPs as a cubic crystal. The morphology of structures illuminates the agglomerated and adherent ZnO NPs on Au NPs. TEM image is clearly show the spherical particles for Au NPs with mean size 12 ± 1 nm, and the mean size for ZnO NPs is 29 ± 2 nm, while, its clearly show increased for size of Au:ZnO CSNPs to 45 ± 2 nm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A zinc oxide–silver doped with graphite and nitrogen (ZnO/Ag doped with C/N) heterostructure was prepared by a simple method with a study of the photodegradation of methylene blue (MB) dye under sunlight irradiation. Results from X-ray diffraction (XRD) experiments show the presence of sharp peaks for ZnO, Ag, and C, with the wurtzite phase of ZnO. Energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX) results match the results of XRD and confirm the presence of Ag, Zn, C, O, and N. Field emission scanning electron microscope (FESEM) images confirm the presence of clusters of spherical nanoparticles (NPs). The optical properties results confirm the high-absorption ability in the visible area with an energy gap of 2.95 eV. After 140 min of exposure to sunlight radiation, the photocatalysis results show that the MB dye can be broken down very well by light. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]