Issue 41, 2013

Novel nanocrystalline zinc silver antimonate (ZnAg3SbO4): an efficient & ecofriendly visible light photocatalyst with enhanced hydrogen generation

Abstract

Herein, we report zinc silver antimonate (ZnAg3SbO4)/ZAS, a novel visible light active photocatalyst for hydrogen generation. The XRD pattern confirmed the formation of a highly crystalline single phase orthorhombic ZAS. The FESEM and TEM micrographs exhibited that the size of the nanoparticles are in the range ∼20–30 nm. An optical study showed a broad absorption edge from 400 to 1000 nm, with an estimated band gap of about ∼1.48 eV. Considering this ideal band gap, ZAS was used as a photocatalyst for the photodecomposition of H2S under visible light irradiation to produce hydrogen for the first time. We obtained the utmost hydrogen evolution i.e., ∼10 200 μmol h−1 g−1 for the naked ZAS (without a co-catalyst) catalyst under visible light, which is much higher than the earlier reported photocatalysts. Generally, in complex oxides of p-block metals, the bottom of the conduction band (CB) consists of the merely localized s and/or p orbitals which are largely dispersed. This large dispersion is responsible for a high electron mobility and extremely high photocatalytic activity. Therefore, a complex oxide (ZAS) of Ag, Zn and the p-block metal (Sb) is found to be a promising visible light active photocatalyst. This is the most stable, efficient and eco-friendly novel visible light active oxide photocatalyst for hydrogen production.

Graphical abstract: Novel nanocrystalline zinc silver antimonate (ZnAg3SbO4): an efficient & ecofriendly visible light photocatalyst with enhanced hydrogen generation

Supplementary files

Additions and corrections

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
24 Jul 2013
Accepted
23 Aug 2013
First published
28 Aug 2013

J. Mater. Chem. A, 2013,1, 12835-12840

Novel nanocrystalline zinc silver antimonate (ZnAg3SbO4): an efficient & ecofriendly visible light photocatalyst with enhanced hydrogen generation

S. A. Mahapure, P. K. Palei, L. K. Nikam, R. P. Panmand, J. D. Ambekar, S. K. Apte and B. B. Kale, J. Mater. Chem. A, 2013, 1, 12835 DOI: 10.1039/C3TA12883K

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