Photocatalytic properties and hydration of perovskite-type layered titanates A2Ln2Ti3O10 (A = Li, Na, K; Ln = La, Nd)

Layered perovskite-type oxides A(2)Ln(2)Ti(3)O(10) (A = Li, Na, K; Ln = La, Nd) prepared by solid-phase synthesis and their hydrated forms were characterized by the methods of TGA, XRD, and by UV-Vis spectroscopy. Photocatalytic activity of A(2)Ln(2)Ti(3)O(10) oxides in reaction of hydrogen evolution from aqueous alcoholic suspensions irradiated by UV-light was studied. It was shown that the ability to intercalation of water into interlayer space essentially affects the rate of photoinduced hydrogen evolution and is a determining factor leading to a high photocatalytic activity.