Spark Plasma Sintering Treatment for Introduction of Oxygen Vacancy in Pt Dispersed SrTiO₃ for Increasing Photocatalytic Water Splitting Activity

Spark plasma sintering (SPS) treatment was studied for Pt dispersed SrTiO₃ as photocatalytic water splitting catalyst. The oxygen vacancy was introduced by SPS treatment and it was found that H₂ formation rate was increased by SPS treatment since large amount of oxygen vacancy was introduced. H₂ formation rate became the highest (6.15 mmol h⁻¹ g⁻¹) at 2.5 wt% Pt dispersed on SrTiO₃ and this H₂ formation rate was almost double of Pt loaded SrTiO₃ and O₂ formation rate was also much increased (5.66 mmol h⁻¹ g⁻¹). ESR measurement suggests that amount of Ti³⁺ was intense after SPS treatment with 2.5 wt% Pt. Therefore, it seems that the oxygen vacancy introduced by SPS treatment effectively worked for charge separation and photocatalytic activity of SrTiO₃ to water splitting was increased.