Photocatalytic Properties of SrTiO3 Nanocubes Synthesized Through Molten Salt Modified Pechini Route

SrTiO3 nanocubes with 10-40 nm particles size range were synthesized using a molten salt modified Pechini route at temperature range between 480 similar to 800 degrees C for 2 h. The formation of SrTiO3 nanocubes were monitored by using thermogravity and differential scanning calorimetry (TG-DSC). The low formation temperature was attributed to the enhanced liquid phase diffusion and reaction rate of the molten salt modified Pechini route. Photodegradation of methylene blue was employed to evaluate photocatalytic performance of the SrTiO3 nanocubes. The degradation of methylene blue by the SrTiO3 nanocubes with 20 nm size reached 96% after 7 h UV light irradiation. The photocatalytic behaviour of the SrTiO3 nanocubes was attributed by their nanometer size and band gap, similar to TiO2.