Hydrothermal synthesis of Sr1.36Sb2O6 nano-octahedrons with photocatalytic activity for overall splitting of water

•Sr1.36Sb2O6 nano-octahedrons were prepared via a facile hydrothermal method.•Sr1.36Sb2O6 is a semiconductor with a wide band gap.•RuO2-loaded Sr1.36Sb2O6 showed photocatalytic activity for overall water splitting.

Sr1.36Sb2O6 nano-octahedrons were successfully prepared via a facile hydrothermal method from Sb2O5. The as-prepared Sr1.36Sb2O6 was characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), UV–vis diffuse reflectance spectra (DRS), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) and energy dispersive spectrometer (EDS). Acidity of the precursor mixture had a positive effect on crystallization of Sr1.36Sb2O6. RuO2-loaded Sr1.36Sb2O6 showed photocatalytic activity for overall water splitting without adding hole scavengers to produce H2 and O2 under Xenon lamp irradiation. Sr1.36Sb2O6 prepared at low pH exhibited superior photocatalytic activity possibly due to its high degree of crystallization.

Graphical abstractSr1.36Sb2O6 nano-octahedrons were prepared via a facile hydrothermal method. RuO2-loaded Sr1.36Sb2O6 showed photocatalytic activity for overall water splitting without adding hole scavengers to produce H2 and O2 under Xenon lamp irradiation.Figure optionsDownload full-size imageDownload as PowerPoint slide