Influence of NaNbO3 morphology and particle size on hydrogen production via heterogeneous photocatalysis

Sodium niobate (NaNbO 3 ) was synthesized via microwave-assisted hydrothermal and Pechini polymer precursor resulting in materials with different particle sizes and morphologies. Both synthesized materials were evaluated as photocatalysts for hydrogen production from water under simulated solar irradiation, using glycerol as a hole scavenger. The results demonstrated a strong correlation between photocatalytic performance and material morphology, with the Pechini-derived NaNbO 3 exhibiting significantly higher hydrogen evolution rates. This superior performance was attributed to its nanostructured morphology, which provides a larger specific surface area and an increased number of active sites for photocatalytic reaction. These findings highlight the importance of tailoring synthesis routes to optimize the structural and textural properties of NaNbO 3 for efficient hydrogen generation. • Sodium niobate (NaNbO₃) was synthesized by microwave-assisted and Pechini methods. • Pechini-NaNbO 3 yielded a 11× times larger active area (23.4m 2 g −1 ) than Hydrothermal. • PC H 2 production was evaluated under simulated solar irradiation with glycerol. • Pechini-derived NaNbO₃ showed higher H 2 evolution rate vs. hydrothermal (4.5 vs. 1.3 mL H 2 g −1 h −1 ). • The activity of Pechini-NaNbO 3 was attributed to high aspect ratio and active sites.