Abstract
Photocatalysts and the reaction environments in which they act are crucial for improving the photocatalytic efficiency. But the pH-dependent evolution of H2 photocatalysed using nanoscale potassium niobate particles with high surface areas has not received attention. In this study, a straightforward Ostwald ripening method was developed to synthesize KNb3O8 with a thin nanosheet assembled hierarchical yolk-shell structure and large surface area of 60.6 m2 g-1. The H2 evolution from a water-methanol solution in an alkaline to neutral environment was studied. The photocatalytic H2 evolution rates over fabricated hierarchical yolk-shell KNb3O8 increased when OH- concentrations were decreased. Such behaviour implied that the concentration of H+ dominated the H2 evolution over hierarchical yolk-shell KNb3O8 rather than the reduction ability from the conduction band, differing from the corresponding bulk material. This study demonstrated an efficient method to achieve a high H2 evolution rate in a neutral environment through the use of photocatalysts with hierarchical structures and large surface areas.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 1000-1005 |
Number of pages | 6 |
Journal | Catalysis Science and Technology |
Volume | 7 |
Issue number | 4 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - 2017 |
Externally published | Yes |