Synthesis of Pt-decorated CaTiO3 nanocrystals for efficient photoconversion of nitrobenzene to aniline under visible light

Photocatalysis epitomizes an alternative way to produce useful industrial chemicals. Aniline (AN) is one of the most common compounds used inmanufacturing. In this work, we present a simple sol-gel process for the synthesis of calcium titanate nanocrystals (CTO) followed by decoration with Pt by photoassisted deposition. Characterizations of the produced photocatalysts showed the positive effect of Pt loading on the structural, optical, and optoelectronic properties. The Pt loading with just 3.0 wt% verifies the reduction of the bandgap of CTO from 3.45 to 2.8 eV plus an enhancement of visible light absorption. The application of the Pt-decorated CTO (Pt/CTO) for the photoconversion of nitrobenzene (NTB) to AN is emphasized. The optimized Pt/CTO photocatalyst showed a sufficient photoconversion of NTB to the useful AN in a 40min at 1.2 gL(-1) with excellent recyclability. The Pt proves the minimization of the electron-hole recombination and suppresses the separation. This work is highlighting the application of the ecofriendly perovskite-based photocatalysts to produce industrial chemicals. (C) 2020 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.