In-doped Sn3O4 flower-like nanosheets for efficient visible-light photocatalytic hydrogen production

Improving photocatalytic activity is crucial for promoting photocatalytic hydrogen production. Element doping is a feasible strategy to accelerate carrier separation and migration rate. Herein, a simple one-pot hydrothermal process was used to create In doped Sn3O4 composite photocatalyst. It was demonstrated that the addition of In considerably raises the concentration of oxygen vacancy, which provides more unsaturated active sites, thus regulating the photocatalyst's electronic structure and surface properties, and promoting the carrier migration efficiency. Meanwhile, the light absorption range of samples after doping is redshifted, and the light absorption capacity is enhanced, which effectively improves the photocatalytic activity. Due to this, the optimal sample's average hydrogen production under visible light reached 22.83 μmol g−1 h−1, 4.5 folds more than that of Sn3O4, and shown good stability. This research presents a novel approach for the development of metal oxide photocatalyst with excellent activity and durability.