Photocatalytic water splitting of improved strontium titanate for simultaneous separation of H2 in a twin photoreactor

A core-shell structural Rh-CrO_x loaded on Al³⁺ doped strontium titanate was used for photocatalytic water splitting. A specially designed twin photoreactor, which integrates the water splitting and the degradation of isopropanol, can simultaneously carry out the degradation of isopropanol and hydrogen production. A flux method was conducted to prepare Rh@CrO₃ cocatalyst on Al³⁺ doped high-crystallinity strontium titanate for the photocatalyst of hydrogen evolution. Nearly 1200 μmole/g of hydrogen was evolved in photocatalytic whole water splitting in five hours under simulated AM 1.5 G sunlight. Pt-loaded WO₃ was utilized to degrade 100 ppm isopropanol solution. The above photocatalysts were used in the twin reactor with electron-mediator I^-/IO₃^- and a Neosepta anion-exchanged membrane. Hydrogen evolution of 1102 μmole/g and isopropanol removal of 10.1% were achieved in five hours, indicating the rate-limiting H₂ rate was overcome. The quantum efficiencies on the hydrogen-evolution and degradation sides were estimated to be 0.102% and 0.123%, respectively.