Hydrogen production performance of active Ce/N co-doped SrTiO3 for photocatalytic water splitting

An efficient visible light responsive photocatalyst Ce/N co-doped SrTiO3 was prepared via a hydrothermal method for hydrogen production. The phase structure, morphology, contents and valence states of the dopant elements, specific surface area, optical properties, and photocatalytic activity of the samples were characterized. The transient photocurrent response and electrochemical impedance spectra under visible light illumination indicated that Ce/N co-doped SrTiO3 possessed a more intense photo-current response and lower surface resistance than N–SrTiO3 and Ce–SrTiO3. The water splitting rate of Ce/N-co-doped SrTiO3 is 4.28 mmol/g/h, which is 84.49 times higher than that of pure SrTiO3. The enhanced photocatalytic performance is due to the narrowing of the band gap of SrTiO3 by Ce ion and N ion impurities.