Enhanced photocatalytic water splitting with surface defective SrTiO3 nanocrystals

Surface reconstructed SrTiO 3 nanocrystals were synthesized by a thermal treatment process in presence of NaBH 4 and SrTiO 3 nanocrystals. The surface reconstruction of SrTiO 3 nanocrystals is attributed to the introduction of surface oxygen vacancies or Ti sites (such as Ti 3+ and Ti 2+ ) during the hydrogenation treatment process. The light absorption and the charge transfer ability of SrTiO 3 nanocrystals are simultaneously enhanced due to surface oxygen vacancies or Ti sites (such as Ti 3+ and Ti 2+ ), which are beneficial to photocatalytic water splitting. Meanwhile, these defects also change the redox potential of the photocatalysts. Since there existed a synergistic effect between the three, the ratio of hydrogen to oxygen production was also regulated.