Published online by Cambridge University Press: 28 November 2013
The SrZnO2 thin films were fabricated by using laser ablation method. The films were annealed after deposition in order to improve the crystallinity. Water splitting experiments were carried out and hydrogen production over the SrZnO2 thin films were confirmed with no applied bias. The band gap of SrZnO2 was 3.41 eV which is 0.15 eV larger than that of ZnO. It suggests that the band gap was increased by doping Sr to ZnO, and the reducibility was improved. As a result, the rate of photocatalytic hydrogen production over the SrZnO2 was increased compared to ZnO.