“One-Pot” Synthesis and Photocatalytic Hydrogen Generation with Nanocrystalline Ag(0)/CaTiO3 and in Situ Mechanistic Studies

We describe a previously not reported “one-pot” synthesis of nanocrystalline Ag(0)/CaTiO 3 in aqueous suspension and the following in situ photocatalytic testing in the same suspension to generate hydrogen. The Ag(0)/CaTiO 3 showed an enhancement of photocatalytic hydrogen generation rate vs CaTiO 3 precursor. The obtained Ag(0)/CaTiO 3 photocatalyst was ex situ characterized by XPS, XRD, UV–vis diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (DRS), and photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopy, and concluded to have metallic silver nanoparticles on the surface of calcium titanate nanocrystals. The three photocatalytic mechanisms in Ag(0)/CaTiO 3 were considered: (a) bandgap narrowing in CaTiO 3, (b) enhanced electron–hole separation in CaTiO 3, and (c) excitation of surface plasmon resonance (SPR) in metallic Ag nanoparticles. In mechanistic studies, photocatalytic suspensions with CaTiO 3 precursor, with silver precursor, and with both CaTiO 3 and Ag precursors to form Ag(0)/CaTiO 3 were illuminated, flash-frozen to 77 K, and characterized by in situ “conventional” PL spectroscopy and in situ synchronous luminescence spectroscopy. On the basis of the complementary ex situ and in situ studies, an enhanced electron–hole separation in Ag(0)/CaTiO 3 is suggested.