Direct Deposition of Trivalent Rhodium Hydroxide Nanoparticles onto a Semiconducting Layered Calcium Niobate for Photocatalytic Hydrogen Evolution

• Published in: Nano letters Vol. 8; no. 3; pp. 794 - 799
• Main Authors: Hata, Hideo, Kobayashi, Yoji, Bojan, Vince, Youngblood, W. Justin, Mallouk, Thomas E
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Washington, DC American Chemical Society 01.03.2008
• Subjects: Calcium - chemistry; Catalysis; Catalysts: preparations and properties; Chemistry; Cross-disciplinary physics: materials science; rheology; Exact sciences and technology; General and physical chemistry; Hydrogen - chemistry; Hydroxides - chemistry; Materials science; Metal Nanoparticles - chemistry; Metal Nanoparticles - ultrastructure; Microscopy, Electron, Transmission; Nanocrystalline materials; Nanoscale materials and structures: fabrication and characterization; Niobium - chemistry; Oxides - chemistry; Photochemistry; Physics; Rhodium - chemistry; Semiconductors; Theory of reactions, general kinetics. Catalysis. Nomenclature, chemical documentation, computer chemistry; X-Ray Diffraction; Interlayers; Semiconductor materials; Layered crystals; Photocatalysis; Calcium Niobates; Perovskites; XRD; Covalent bonds; Nanoparticles; Titanium oxide; Catalyst activity; Nanostructured materials; Electron donor; Rhodium hydroxides; Methanol; X-ray photoelectron spectra
• ISSN: 1530-6984; 1530-6992
• DOI: 10.1021/nl072571w

Well-dispersed Rh(OH)3 nanoparticles were deposited in the interlayer galleries of a Dion−Jacobson type layered perovskite (ACa2Nb3O10: A = H or K). X-ray photoelectron spectra and ζ potential measurements suggest covalent bonding (Rh−O−Nb) between the nanoparticles and the niobate sheets. After calcination of Rh(OH)3/KCa2Nb3O10 at 350 °C in air, interlayer Rh(OH)3 nanoparticles were transformed to Rh2O3 and showed higher photocatalytic activity for hydrogen evolution using methanol as a sacrificial electron donor.