ZnO-based nanomaterials approach for photocatalytic and sensing applications: recent progress and trends

Nowadays, there is a rising urge to develop and implement cheaper, abundant, and environmentally friendly semiconducting materials into practical devices. In this regard, zinc oxide (ZnO) presents itself as a relevant and attractive prospect that fulfills the former requirements and stands out for its optoelectronic, photocatalytic, and sensing performance. Furthermore, obtaining ZnO nanostructures has reignited the research on the material. Despite the accurate control and reproducibility over the synthesis of nanoscale ZnO systems, the complete understanding of their physical properties at this scale remains. Especially for their application into scalable, practical devices. Thereby, the present thorough revision of recent results and investigations related to improving the photocatalytic and sensing performance of ZnO-based nanomaterials. The use of pristine, doped, and metallic ZnO composites for various emerging applications such as photocatalytic reactions, biosensors, and ozone chemosensors is presented. Furthermore, an analysis and description of the current challenges and prospectives are included.