LAUSR

Abstract Porous structured ZnO/Ag composite fibers were synthesized by chemically etching ZnO/Ag/SiO 2 fibers made from an electrospinning process. As a comparison, solid ZnO/Ag composite fibers were also synthesized under the same conditions. The porous structure of the ZnO/Ag fibers was confirmed by SEM images, and their enhanced BET surface area over the solid ones. The photocatalytic performance of both solid and porous ZnO/Ag fibers was investigated in RhB degradation reaction under visible light irradiation. The results showed that the porous ZnO/Ag fibers presented a higher photocatalytic performance. Moreover, the stability of porous ZnO/Ag fibers was tested in four consecutive photocatalytic reactions, and the porous fibers showed a high stability over photocatalytic degradation.