Synthesis, Characterization, and Applications of ZnO Nanowires

Table 1

Comparison of different ZnO nanostructures used in photocatalytic applications.

Nanoparticles		Nanowires		Nanothin film
Advantages	Disadvantages	Advantages	Disadvantages	Advantages	Disadvantages
Could be suspended in a solution	Particle aggregation in a solution leads to a reduced surface area	Growth could be well aligned on most substrates	Growth conditions are more restricted	Coated on certain substrates	Lower performance because of small surface area
High performance because of larger surface areas	Posttreatment for catalyst removal is required	Offer larger surface area compared to nanothin film	Lower surface area compared to nanoparticles	Posttreatment for catalyst removal is not required
	Difficult to recover all the catalyst	Posttreatment for catalyst removal is not required
		Lower crystallinity and more defects