Improvement of photocatalytic activity of (Ga1-xZnx)(N1-xOx) solid solution for overall water splitting by co-loading Cr and another transition metal

Modification with a two-component cocatalyst consisting of Cr and another transition metal was examined in an attempt to improve the photocatalytic activity of (Ga1-xZnx)(N1-xOx) for overall water splitting. The activity of (Ga1-xZnx)(N1-xOx) modified with various transition metals is enhanced by co-loading of Cr, although modification with Cr alone is not effective for promoting activity in this reaction. The activity of the co-loaded catalyst is found to be strongly dependent on the amount of loaded Cr, which in turn varies according to the paired transition metal. The improvement in activity is attributed to the formation of suitable reaction sites by intimate interaction between Cr and the paired metal component. (c) 2006 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.