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Electrospun SrTiO3 nanofibers for photocatalytic hydrogen generation

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Abstract

Homogenous strontium titanate (SrTiO3) nanofibers were prepared via the electrospinning of precursor solutions containing both strontium and titanium salts. Photocatalytic activities of these SrTiO3 nanofibers for hydrogen generation from water were examined and compared to that of SrTiO3 nanoparticles. The nanofibers calcined at 700 °C showed the highest photocatalytic activity of 167 μmol/h/g among the SrTiO3 samples tested. The high activity was attributed to the ideal stoichiometric ratio of Ti/Sr, small crystallite size, high crystallinity, mesoporous structure, large surface area, and appropriate energy gap. These were confirmed through field emission scanning electron microscopic with energy dispersive spectroscopic observations, x-ray diffraction patterns, N2 gas absorption–desorption isotherm measurements, photoelectron yield spectroscopy in air, and UV-visible spectrophotometry.

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ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

The authors are indebted to Prof. Keiichi N. Ishihara and Dr. Eiji Yamasue of Graduate School of Energy Science, Kyoto University for the use of TG-DTA apparatus. This work was partly supported by the “Energy Science in the Age of Global Warming” of Global Center of Excellence (G-COE) program (J-051) of the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) of Japan.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Graduate School of Energy Science, Kyoto University, Yoshida-honmachi, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto, 606-8501, Japan

    Lea Macaraig & Takashi Sagawa

  2. The Joint Graduate School of Energy and Environment, King Mongkut University of Technology Thonburi, Bangmod, Tungkru, Bangkok, 10140, Thailand

    Surawut Chuangchote

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  1. Lea Macaraig
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  2. Surawut Chuangchote
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  3. Takashi Sagawa
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Correspondence to Takashi Sagawa.

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Supplementary materials can be viewed in this issue of the Journal of Materials Research by visiting http://journals.cambridge.org/jmr.

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Macaraig, L., Chuangchote, S. & Sagawa, T. Electrospun SrTiO3 nanofibers for photocatalytic hydrogen generation. Journal of Materials Research 29, 123–130 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1557/jmr.2013.259

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1557/jmr.2013.259

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