Insight of SrCl2 as an Appropriate Flux Medium in Synthesizing AI-Doped SrTiO3 Photocatalyst for Overall Water Splitting

In the preparation of SrTiO3 photocatalysts, the flux treatment in corundum crucible typically increases the crystallinity and promotes Al3+ into the perovskite structure, responsible for the decrease in the concentration of Ti3+ defects. As a result, they can give a better performance in the water-splitting reaction. Thence, the selection of flux medium is crucial, and the insight of its effect on the SrTiO3 nanoparticles can give guidance for designing the synthesis process. Here, we respectively use LiCl, NaCl, KCl and SrCl2 as the flux medium assisting the preparation of SrTiO3. Combining characterizations and photocatalysis evaluations, we found that the size of cations had an influence on the SrTiO3 phase structure, and the thermal conductivity of chloride salts had an effect on the Al-doping amount into SrTiO3. Considering the two aspects, SrCl2 is the more appropriate flux medium in synthesizing SrTiO3 photocatalysts. [GRAPHICS] .