Submitted Abstract
Photocatalytic processes, including photochemical water splitting, are among the most promising alternatives for environmental remediation and the generation of clean fuels from renewable and highly abundant sources such as water and solar energy. Perovskite oxides with the general formula ABO3 containing both rare earth elements and 3d transition metals provide attractive substituents to noble metals that are ubiquitously applied in catalysis. The PLASPEROX project aims at studying the atmospheric-pressure plasma-enhanced chemical vapour deposition (AP-PECVD) of visible-light active photocatalytic ABO3 thin films. The development of nanostructured ABO3 perovskite thin films, including new Sr1-xAxTi1-yByO3 (A = Ca, Ba; B = Fe, Co, Cu, Zr), from a low-temperature and up-scalable route could provide an efficient and economical technological breakthrough for the sustainable solar fuel generation from water splitting.The PLASPEROX project will study the nucleation and growth of ABO3 thin films by AP-PECVD and the tuning of their physicochemical properties, which are determinant for the catalytic performance. The first stage of the project, which will allow the transfer of knowledge of host institution and industrial partner to the applicant, implies the preparation of highly active nanostructured thin films of visible-active ABO3 photocatalysts with novel stoichiometries (pure and doped) and architectures by AP-PECVD. The thoroughly characterisation of ABO3 photocatalysts and the evaluation of their catalytic performances will promote the transfer of knowledge from applicant to the host institution and industrial partner. Understanding of the different PECVD and photocatalytic mechanisms are of vital importance for the design and large-scale application of high quality and efficient nanostructured photocatalysts for the generation of clean solar-based fuels.