A Comprehensive Review on Hydrothermally Tuning SrTiO3 for Efficient Photocatalytic Applications: Water Remediation and Water Splitting

Global requirement of clean, cost-effective and sustainable energy has stimulated massive research and development in photocatalytic materials that have the potential to harvest solar based energy while mitigating the environmental issues. Among various materials, perovskite oxides have emerged as a promising energy resource. Owing to the structural versatility, optical and electrical properties, chemical inertness allows the use of material of multifunctional prospects. Currently Strontium titanate (SrTiO3), a vital perovskite oxide having a band gap nearly ~3.2 eV, is showing significant function for photocatalytic water splitting, carbon dioxide conversion and degradation of organic pollutants. Though within the UV spectrum, its intrinsic photocatalytic behavior is limited to approaches such as graphene junctions, noble-metal support, and post-synthetic heat treatment seem to promote the adsorption within visible-light. Strontium titanate also demonstrates photo charge separation efficiency, and long-term catalytic durability. Moreover, modifications and hydrothermal synthesis have proven extremely efficient for nano-based engineering, control over crystal diameter, defects, and shape, which can result in magnificent composites that can be promising substitutes. Therefore, further research is imperative regarding these material application prospects. This comprehensive review provides insights into details on the potential of nanoengineering and composite approaches to reduce the inherent limitations of perovskite oxides, especially Strontium titanate, and enabling additional applications in next-generation photovoltaic and solar energy harvesting technologies.