Dopant dependent band gap tailoring of hydrothermally prepared cubic SrTixM1-xO3 (M=Ru,Rh,Ir,Pt,Pd) nanoparticles as visible light photocatalysts

Nanostructured cubic SrTiO3 particles were hydrothermally synthesized and studied experimentally/theoretically for photoreduction of water. The particles were doped with metal atoms (M=Ru,Rh,Ir,Pt,Pd), which acquired high cyrstallinity after thermal treatment. SrTiO3:Rh showed the highest rate of H-2 evolution under lambda>420 nm photons. The density functional theory calculations of SrTixM1-xO3 (M=Ru,Rh,Ir,Pt) implied that the photocatalytic activity of SrTixRh1-xO3 was due to its suitable band energetics, and the induced hybridized Ti/Rh orbitals in the bandgap of SrTiO3. (C) 2008 American Institute of Physics.