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Double Doping of NaTaO3 Photocatalysts with Lanthanum and Manganese for Strongly Enhanced Visible-Light Absorption
journal contribution
posted on 2019-10-17, 04:14 authored by Hanggara Sudrajat, Mitsunori Kitta, Nobuyuki Ichikuni, Hiroshi OnishiPerovskite-structured
tantalates, NaTaO3 in particular,
have been at the forefront of solar energy conversion to generate
hydrogen fuel via photocatalytic water splitting. However, their application
as a photocatalyst remains impractical due to their inability to absorb
long-wavelength light. One promising scheme for extending the material
response to long-wavelength light is via the charge compensation of
doped cations with lanthanum and a transition metal. In this research,
NaTaO3 is doubly doped with lanthanum and manganese, a
3d-block transition metal, for visible-light sensitization. Following
the double doping, the light absorption is extended to the near-infrared
region. The doubly doped samples not only strongly absorb visible
light but also produce electrons under visible-light irradiation (420
< λ < 740 nm). EDX confirms the one-to-one ratio of dopant
incorporation, and nanometer-resolution elemental mapping with TEM
demonstrating that La and Mn are incorporated at approximately the
same location in the particles. EXAFS furthermore reveals that La
occupies the Na site, while Mn occupies the Ta site. These findings
suggest that La pairs with Mn at the neighboring site to form a LaMnO3–NaTaO3 solid solution.