Highly efficient photocatalytic hydrogen production by platinum modified ferroelectric SrBi4Ti4O15

Combining metal with ferroelectrics is one of the reliable strategies to enhance the photocatalytic water splitting of ferroelectrics dramatically. However, the metal loading ratio is directly related to the synergistic effect of catalysts. In order to find the appropriate loading of Pt, we fabricated SrBi4Ti4O15 (SBTO) nanosheets (NSs) and deposited different amounts of Pt nanoparticles (NPs) to form heterojunction. The optoelectronic characteriza-tions verified that the Pt-modified SBTO NSs have broadened absorption of visible light; produce more long-lived charge carriers. The photocatalytic hydrogen production can reach 11700 mu mol g(-1) under continuous illumi-nation for 3 h from the sample containing 6 wt% Pt, showing a much higher hydrogen evolution rate than other ferroelectric materials under similar reaction systems. Our work provides a valuable and feasible solution to produce hydrogen from water.

Automated summary

Combining metal with ferroelectrics is an effective strategy to significantly improve the photocatalytic water splitting efficiency of ferroelectrics. In this study, we fabricated SrBi4Ti4O15 (SBTO) nanosheets and deposited different quantities of Pt nanoparticles to form heterojunctions, aiming to find the optimal Pt loading ratio. The optoelectronic characterizations confirmed that the Pt-modified SBTO nanosheets exhibited broadened absorption of visible light and generated more long-lived charge carriers. The photocatalytic hydrogen production reached 11700 μmol g(-1) with continuous illumination for 3 hours from the sample containing 6 wt% Pt, which demonstrated a much higher hydrogen evolution rate compared to other ferroelectric materials in similar reaction systems. Our work provides a valuable and feasible solution for hydrogen production from water.