Enhancing photogenerated charge separation in perovskite semiconductors via dual cocatalyst engineering
Baratov A. Kuspanov Z. Shaimerdenov A. Yergaziyeva G. Yerlanuly Y. Daulbayev C.
September 2025Elsevier Ltd
Journal of Water Process Engineering
2025#77
Semiconductor photocatalysis offers a sustainable strategy for environmental remediation and solar-driven photocatalytic processes. Among oxide semiconductors, SrTiO₃ stands out for its robust chemical stability, yet its photocatalytic performance remains limited by rapid charge carrier recombination. To address this, we engineered Al-doped SrTiO₃ (STO:Al) with dual cocatalysts using a sequential photodeposition method, aiming to promote spatial separation of redox reactions. Silver nanoparticles were employed as reduction cocatalysts to facilitate electron capture, while NiOx and CoOx acted as oxidation cocatalysts to enhance hole transport. Structural and surface analyses confirmed the successful deposition of cocatalysts on the STO:Al surface without lattice incorporation. UV–visible diffuse reflectance spectroscopy revealed an extended visible-light absorption range, attributed to the surface plasmon resonance of Ag and intrinsic transitions of Ni and Co oxides. The photocatalytic performance was evaluated through methylene blue degradation under full-spectrum irradiation. Ternary photocatalysts Ag/STO:Al/CoOx, Ag/STO:Al/NiOx/CoOx, and Ag/STO:Al/NiOx exhibited removal efficiencies of 96.7 %, 92.2 %, and 86.3 %, respectively, at 10 mg/L MB. Although higher degradation percentages were observed at 5 mg/L, the 10 mg/L concentration was chosen as a representative condition to balance pollutant mass and removal efficiency. These findings demonstrate that dual cocatalyst engineering not only facilitates photogenerated charge separation but also enhances redox reaction kinetics, establishing a rational design approach for developing advanced perovskite-based photocatalysts for visible-light-driven water purification.
Charge carrier separation , Dual cocatalyst photodeposition , Methylene blue degradation , SrTiO₃:Al photocatalyst , Water purification under solar irradiation
Text of the article Перейти на текст статьи
Satbayev University, Almaty, Kazakhstan
Electrochemical conversion and energy storage laboratory, Institute of Nuclear Physics, Almaty, Kazakhstan
Bes Saiman Group, Almaty, Kazakhstan
Al Farabi Kazakh National University, Almaty, Kazakhstan
Kazakh-British Technical University, Kazakhstan
Satbayev University
Electrochemical conversion and energy storage laboratory
Bes Saiman Group
Al Farabi Kazakh National University
Kazakh-British Technical University
10 лет помогаем публиковать статьи Международный издатель
Книга Публикация научной статьи Волощук 2026 Book Publication of a scientific article 2026