Synthesis and photocatalytic activity of hydrated layered perovskite K2−xLa2Ti3−xNbxO10 (0 ⩽ x ⩽ 1) and protonated derivatives

A series of photocatalytic intercalated materials K2−xLa2Ti3−xNbxO10 (0 ⩽ x ⩽ 1) and a series of its protonated derivatives H2−xLa2Ti3−xNbxO10 were prepared by solid-state reaction and ion-exchange reaction. The photocatalytic activities of samples were evaluated using methanol as electron donor under UV irradiation. All H2−xLa2Ti3−xNbxO10 samples possessed approximately twofold higher photocatalytic activity than the corresponding K2−xLa2Ti3−xNbxO10. This difference was most pronounced for the photocatalyst H1.9La2Ti2.9Nb0.1O10 which showed the highest activity: 22 μmol H2/catalyst (g) for 5 h, more than three times the activity of K1.9La2Ti2.9Nb0.1O10.