Photocatalytic activity of Ca3Ti2O7 layered-perovskite doped with Rh under visible light irradiation

The photocatalytic activities of layered-perovskite Ca(3)Ti(2)O(7) doped with Rh were investigated with visible light irradiation. Although the Rh-doped Ca(3)Ti(2)O(7) as prepared showed low activity after an induction period, the photocatalytic activity was highly enhanced by treating the samples in reducing atmosphere without the need for an induction period. The rate of H(2) evolution from an aqueous methanol solution by 3 mol% Rh-doped Ca(3)Ti(2)O(7) after the reduction treatment was about 5 times higher than that before the reduction. The layered photocatalytic compounds, Ca(3)Ti(2-x)Rh(x)O(7), showed higher stability in air than CaTi(1-x)Rh(x)O(3), which consists of a simple perovskite structure. (C) 2008 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.