A red metallic oxide photocatalyst

• DOI: 10.1038/nmat3312
• Publication Date: 2012-04-27T02:57:08Z
• Authors: Xiaoxiang Xu; Chamnan Randorn; Paraskevi Efstathiou; John T. S. Irvine
• Keywords: 02 engineering and technology; 0210 nano-technology; 01 natural sciences; 7. Clean energy; 0104 chemical sciences

Light absorption across the bandgap in semiconductors is exploited in many important applications such as photovoltaics, light emitting diodes and photocatalytic conversion. Metals differ from semiconductors in that there is no energy gap separating occupied and unoccupied levels; however, it is still possible to excite electrons between bands. This is evidenced by materials with metallic properties that are also strongly coloured. An important question is whether such coloured metals could be used in light harvesting or similar applications. The high conductivity of a metal would preclude sufficient electric field being available to separate photocarriers; however, the high carrier mobility in a metal might also facilitate kinetic charge separation. Here we clearly demonstrate for the first time the use of a red metallic oxide, Sr(1-x)NbO(3) as an effective photocatalyst. The material has been used under visible light to photocatalyse the oxidation of methylene blue and both the oxidation and reduction of water assisted by appropriate sacrificial elements.