Photocatalytic hydrogen and oxygen formation under visible light irradiation with M-doped InTaO4 (M= Mn, Fe, Co, Ni and Cu) photocatalysts

In0.8M0.2TaO4 (M = Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu) photocatalysts crystallize in the same crystal structure: wolframi'te type, monoclinic crystal structure with space group P2/c. The rate of H-2 evolution from an aqueous methanol solution under UV irradiation significantly changed with the variation of doping atoms, and In0.8Ni0.2TaO4 showed the highest activity. Under visible light irradiation (lambda > 420 nm), H-2 and O-2 were evolved from an aqueous methanol and silver nitrate solution, respectively, using the photocatalysts, In0.8M0.2TaO4 (M = Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, and Cu). (C) 2002 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.