Microwave-Assisted Synthesis of Pt-Modified NaNbO₃ Nanowires for Enhanced Photocatalytic Hydrogen Production

The urgent need to address global energy demands and mitigate climate change has driven research toward sustainable methods of hydrogen production. Photocatalytic water splitting represents a promising pathway for the generation of green hydrogen, provided that efficient, stable, and sustainably produced photocatalysts are developed. In this work, orthorhombic sodium niobate (NaNbO₃) nanowires were synthesized via a microwave-assisted hydrothermal route, a green, time-efficient, and energy-saving strategy that yielded high-surface-area structures. Platinum was incorporated as a cocatalyst to enhance charge separation and promote hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) activity. Comprehensive structural, morphological, and spectroscopic analyses revealed that Pt incorporation occurred at the molecular level, potentially altering the crystal growth orientation, increasing the surface area, and altering the band structure. While Pt loading reduced NaNbO₃ activity toward the oxygen evolution reaction (OER), it significantly boosted HER performance, achieving 1.26 mmol h^-1 g^-1 of H₂, over four times higher than pristine NaNbO₃, and comparable to the best reported systems, but obtained through a more sustainable synthesis route. These results highlight the combined benefits of microwave-assisted synthesis and Pt integration in the production of efficient photocatalysts for renewable hydrogen generation.