Issue 1, 2016

Structure-controlled porous films of nanoparticulate Rh-doped SrTiO3 photocatalyst toward efficient H2 evolution under visible light irradiation

Abstract

Porous films of Rh-doped SrTiO3 (SrTiO3:Rh) were prepared on glass substrates as a visible light-responsive photocatalyst panel that can generate H2 efficiently under visible light irradiation. The films were prepared by simple screen-printing using the pastes of the fine particles (ca. 50 nm) of SrTiO3:Rh (WH-particles), which were prepared via a facile water-based process, followed by calcination at 500 °C. The use of WH-particles having relatively narrow size distribution allowed us to prepare homogeneous films with controlled thickness ranging from 1 to 10 μm, along with enough mechanical strength. On the other hand, the use of SrTiO3:Rh particles (SS-particles, ca. 300 nm) prepared by a conventional solid state reaction method resulted in inhomogeneous surfaces and exposure of the glass substrates when the thickness was below 3 μm. The SrTiO3:Rh films (WH-films) consisting of the fine particles exhibited much higher efficiency for H2 evolution from methanol aqueous solution under visible light than those prepared from the SS-particles (SS-films) at each thickness. The H2 evolution rate on WH-films increased to reach maximum value at 10 μm (3.2 μmol h−1) while those on SS-films saturated at a thinner thickness of 5 μm (0.7 μmol h−1), and was confirmed to be higher than those on the suspended system with the same amounts of WH-particles. Furthermore, the addition (10–20 wt%) of the large particles to the WH-films further increased the H2 evolution rate, probably due to the light scattering with large SS-particles, by which the neighboring small WH-particles in the films can effectively absorb the scattered light and generate more H2.

Graphical abstract: Structure-controlled porous films of nanoparticulate Rh-doped SrTiO3 photocatalyst toward efficient H2 evolution under visible light irradiation

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
30 Jun 2015
Accepted
03 Aug 2015
First published
07 Aug 2015

Catal. Sci. Technol., 2016,6, 254-260

Author version available

Structure-controlled porous films of nanoparticulate Rh-doped SrTiO3 photocatalyst toward efficient H2 evolution under visible light irradiation

S. Okunaka, H. Tokudome and R. Abe, Catal. Sci. Technol., 2016, 6, 254 DOI: 10.1039/C5CY00979K

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