Enhanced photocatalytic water splitting hydrogen production on RuO2/La NaTaO3 prepared by sol-gel method

Sodium tantalates NaTaO3 and La NaTaO3 prepared by the sol-gel method and impregnated with triruthenium dodecarbonyl were studied as photocatalysts for water splitting X-ray diffraction of the samples showed perovskite-type crystalline structure Small particulate solids (<100 nm) were observed by SEM Well dispersed RuO2 particles (<6 nm) on the surface of the tantalates were observed by HRTEM Hydrogen production of water irradiation with UV light source was 110 mu mol h(-1) and 155 mu mol h-1 on NaTaO3 and La NaTaO3 photocatalysts respectively On RuO2/tantalates catalysts improved photoactivity was observed Activities up to 4108 H-2 mu mol h(-1) were obtained The higher activity of the RuO2/tantalates was attributed to an important diminution in the electron-hole pair recombination due to the effect produced by the presence of La in the NaTaO3 structure as well as by the role of RuO2 like electron-trap (C) 2010 Elsevier B V All rights reserved