Fe-Doped Metal Complex (LaCo_0.9Fe_0.1O₃) and g-C₃N₄ Formed a Nanoheterojunction for the Photocatalytic Decomposition...

Photocatalytic water decomposition provides an environmentally friendly method of hydrogen production similar to "photosynthesis", while current research aims to develop affordable yet efficient photocatalysts. Oxygen vacancy is one of the most significant defects in metal oxide semiconductors, including perovskite, which substantially influences the semiconductor material's efficiency. To enhance the oxygen vacancy in the perovskite, we worked on doping Fe. A perovskite oxide nanostructure of LaCoFe_1-O₃ (x = 0.2, 0.4, 0.6, 0.8, and 0.9) was prepared by the sol-gel method, and a series of LaCoFe_1-O₃ (x = 0.2, 0.4, 0.6, 0.8, and 0.9)/g-C₃N₄ nanoheterojunction photocatalysts were synthesized using mechanical mixing and solvothermal methods for LaCoFe_1-O₃ (x = 0.2, 0.4, 0.6, 0.8, and 0.9). Fe was successfully doped into the perovskite (LaCoO₃), and the formation of an oxygen vacancy was verified by various detection methods. In our photocatalytic water decomposition experiments, we observed that LaCo_0.9Fe_0.1O₃ demonstrated a significant increase in its maximum hydrogen release rate, reaching 5249.21 μmol h^-1 g^-1, which was remarkably 17.60 times higher than that of LaCoO₃-undoped Fe. Similarly, we also explored the photocatalytic activity of the nanoheterojunction complex LaCo_0.9Fe_0.1O₃/g-C₃N₄, and it exhibited pronounced performance with an average hydrogen production of 7472.67 μmol h^-1 g^-1, which was 25.05 times that of LaCoO₃. We confirmed that the oxygen vacancy plays a crucial role in photocatalysis.