Preparation and photocatalytic activity of multi-walled carbon nanotubes/Mg-doped ZnO nanohybrids

Multi-walled carbon nanotubes/Mg-doped ZnO (MWNTs/Zn_1-xMg_xO) nanohybrids were prepared by co-precipitation method, and their photocatalytic activity for methyl orange (MO) was studied. Experimental results showed that Mg-doped ZnO nanoparticles were successfully deposited on the surface of MWNTs under annealing at 450 °C and 550 °C. The resultant MWNTs/Zn_0.9Mg_0.1O nanohybrids had better photocatalytic activity for degradation of methyl orange than pure ZnO: the rates of MO photodegradation were 100 % and 30 % for 1 h, respectively. The enhancement in the photocatalytic activity was attributed to the excellent electronic properties of MWNTs and Mg-doping.