One-Pot Synthesis for Doped Amorphous Carbon-Based Compounds: Influence of ZnO Dopant on the Charge Transfer Efficiency

Amorphous carbon (a-C) materials have attracted significant attention for environmental remediation due to their chemical stability and high surface area; however, their photocatalytic activity remains limited by rapid electron-hole recombination. In this study, ZnO-doped amorphous carbon (a-C@ZnO) composites were synthesized via a one-pot hydrothermal method to enhance charge separation and photocatalytic performance. The synthesis involved the carbonization of glucose and the incorporation of zinc species under controlled conditions, resulting in composites with varying ZnO contents. The physical and chemical properties of the materials were thoroughly characterized by SEM, Raman spectroscopy, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, confirming the successful integration of ZnO within the carbon matrix and the formation of Zn-O-C chemical bonds. Photocatalytic tests, evaluated through the degradation of rhodamine 6G under UV irradiation, demonstrated that ZnO doping significantly improved photocatalytic efficiency, with the a-C@ZnO_0.75 sample achieving a 72% degradation rate and the highest kinetic rate constant. The enhancement was attributed to improved charge transfer and reactive oxygen species generation facilitated by the ZnO-a-C interface. These findings highlight the potential of ZnO-doped amorphous carbon composites as effective, low-cost photocatalysts for water purification applications.