Photocatalytic Activity for Hydrogen Evolution of Heteroatom-Doped SrTiO3 Prepared Using a Graphitic-Carbon Nitride Nanosheet

Abstract

We developed a novel method to synthesize a visible-light-responsible photocatalyst from a composite of SrTiO3 and a graphitic carbon nitride (g-C3N4) nanosheet. Heteroatoms were successfully doped into a lattice of SrTiO3 by mild calcination of a composite that the g-C3N4 nanosheet adsorbed on to the SrTiO3 surface. The absorption edge in the UV-Vis absorption spectrum of the doped sample was shifted to a longer wavelength region. The photocatalytic activity of the doped sample under UV light irradiation was higher than those of both pristine SrTiO3 and the g-C3N4 nanosheet, suggesting that the photocatalytic property of SrTiO3 was enhanced by doping. The doped sample showed photocatalytic activity under visible light irradiation (>420 nm), which was enhanced by Pt loading.