Highly Efficient Water Splitting into H 2 and O 2 over Lanthanum-Doped NaTaO 3 Photocatalysts with High Crystallinity and Surface Nanostructure

NiO-loaded NaTaO(3) doped with lanthanum showed a high photocatalytic activity for water splitting into H(2) and O(2) in a stoichiometric amount under UV irradiation. The photocatalytic activity of NiO-loaded NaTaO(3) doped with lanthanum was 9 times higher than that of nondoped NiO-loaded NaTaO(3). The maximum apparent quantum yield of the NiO/NaTaO(3):La photocatalyst was 56% at 270 nm. The factors affecting the highly efficient photocatalytic water splitting were examined by using various characterization techniques. Electron microscope observations revealed that the particle sizes of NaTaO(3):La crystals (0.1-0.7 microm) were smaller than that of the nondoped NaTaO(3) crystal (2-3 microm) and that the…

• CR
  Core Research for Evolutional Science and Technology