Synthesis of new visible light active photocatalysts of Ba (In1/3Pb1/3M'1/3)O3 (M' = Nb, Ta): A band gap engineering strategy based on electronegativity of a metal component

The synthesis of new, efficient, visible light active photocatalysts through the incorporation of highly electronegative non-transition metal Pb or Sn ions into the perovskite lattice of Ba(In1/3M1/3M'1/3)O3 (M = Sn, Pb; M' = Nb, Ta) is discussed. A greater photocatalytic activity was observed in Pb-substituted derivatives under visible and ultraviolet-vis irradiations as compared to ternary Ba(In1/2M'1/2)O3 and quaternary Ba(In1/3Sn1/3M'1/3)O3 compounds (M' = Nb, Ta).