title: Novel Au/La-SrTiO3 microspheres: superimposed effect of gold nanoparticles and lanthanum doping in photocatalysis.
abstract: Novel multielement Au/La-SrTiO(3) microspheres were synthesized by a solvothermal method using monodisperse gold and La-SrTiO(3) nanocrystals as building blocks. The porous Au/La-SrTiO(3) microspheres had a large surface area of 94.6 m(2)  g(-1). The stable confined Au nanoparticles demonstrated strong surface plasmon resonance effect, leading to enhanced absorption in a broad UV/Vis/NIR range. Doping of rare-earth metal La also broadened the absorption band to the visible region. Both the conduction and valence bands of Au/La-SrTiO(3) microspheres thus show favorable potential for proton reduction under visible light. The superimposed effect of Au nanoparticles and La doping in Au/La-SrTiO(3) microspheres led to high photocurrent density in photoelectrochemical water splitting and good photocatalytic activity in photodegradation of rhodamine B. The photocatalytic activities are in the order of the following: Au/La-SrTiO(3) microspheres>Au/SrTiO(3) microspheres>La-SrTiO(3) microspheres>SrTiO(3) microspheres.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, National University of Singapore, 3 Science Drive 3, Singapore 117543 (Singapore), Fax: (+65) 68731324.
authors.forename: Guannan
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Pei
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: He-Kuan
authors.initials: HK
authors.lastname: Luo
authors.forename: T S Andy
authors.initials: TS
authors.lastname: Hor
mesh_terms: D002384:Catalysis; D055664:Electrochemical Techniques / Q000379:methods; D006046:Gold / Q000737:chemistry; D007811:Lanthanum / Q000737:chemistry*; D008027:Light; D053768:Metal Nanoparticles / Q000737:chemistry*; D008855:Microscopy, Electron, Scanning; D008863:Microspheres; D010087:Oxides / Q000737:chemistry*; D010777:Photochemistry / Q000379:methods*; D012235:Rhodamines / Q000737:chemistry; D013324:Strontium / Q000737:chemistry*; D020349:Surface Plasmon Resonance; D014025:Titanium / Q000737:chemistry*; D014867:Water / Q000737:chemistry
chemical_list: D010087:Oxides; D012235:Rhodamines; D014867:Water; D007811:Lanthanum; D006046:Gold; D014025:Titanium; C029773:rhodamine B; C119252:strontium titanium oxide; D013324:Strontium
keywords: doping; gold; nanoparticles; perovskite phases; photocatalysis