Photocatalytic Saline Splitting Reaction on SrTiO3 for Co-Generation of Hydrogen and Chlorine

Abstract Photocatalytic saline (NaCl aqueous solution) splitting was carried out using Al-doped SrTiO3 particles under acidic conditions. Hydrogen and chlorine were simultaneously evolved in a flow-type reactor. Despite the acidic medium, the apparent quantum yield reached as high as 50%, which is comparable to that achieved in pure water splitting systems. The solar-to-hydrogen conversion efficiency was calculated to be 0.4%, while the total solar energy conversion efficiency reached 0.46% due to the concurrent production of chlorine. These results demonstrate the potential of this system as a feasible and cost-effective approach for photocatalytic energy conversion.