Abstract:
This paper deals with the study of the optical properties of one-dimensional
SrTiO3/PAN-based photocatalysts with the addition of metal oxide particles and the determination
of their bandgaps. One-dimensional photocatalysts were obtained by the electrospinning method.
Particles of metals such as iron, chromium, and copper were used as additives that are capable
of improving the fibers’ photocatalytic properties based on SrTiO3/PAN. The optimal ratios of
the solutions for the electrospinning of fibers based on SrTiO3/PAN with the addition of metal
oxide particles were determined. The transmission and reflection of composite photocatalysts
with metal oxide particles were measured in a wide range of spectra, from the ultraviolet region
(185 nm) to near-infrared radiation (3600 nm), to determine the values of their bandgaps. Thus,
the introduction of metal oxide particles resulted in a decrease in the bandgaps of the obtained
composite photocatalysts compared to the initial SrTiO3/PAN (3.57 eV), with the following values:
−3.11 eV for SrTiO3/PAN/Fe2O3, −2.84 eV for SrTiO3/PAN/CuO, and −2.89 eV for SrTiO3/PAN/Cr2O3.
The obtained composite photocatalysts were tested for the production of hydrogen by the splitting of
water–methanol mixtures under UV irradiation, and the following rates of hydrogen evolution were
determined: 344.67 µmol h−1 g
−1
for SrTiO3/PAN/Fe2O3, 398.93 µmol h−1 g
−1
for SrTiO3/PAN/Cr2O3,
and 420.82 µmol h−1 g
−1
for SrTiO3/PAN/CuO.
