Recent advances in Lanthanum-based photocatalysts with engineering aspects for photocatalytic hydrogen production: A critical review

Photocatalytic water splitting is a favourable technology to solve present-day environmental pollution and energy crises by generating green hydrogen. In this context, a variety of materials have been investigated as photocatalysts for H2 generation. Among the materials, Lanthanum (La) based materials have emerged as promising candidates for H2 generation due to their unique electronic and structural properties. La can enhance the catalytic activity of other metals or metal oxides when used as a co-catalyst. La can also modify the surface properties of catalysts, such as surface acidity or basicity, which can influence the adsorption and activation of reactant molecules. Herein, recent progress in the La-based cocatalyst and semiconducting materials towards H2 generation with their engineering aspects has been discussed. First, the fundamentals and properties of La-based materials involved in the photocatalytic generation of H2 are discussed. The strategies including La used as dopant and co-dopant and its effect on the photocatalytic performance are discussed. Numerous La-based compounds and their composites are discussed to analyse their photocatalytic performance towards H2 production. In addition, it explores various engineering strategies including heterojunction formation, surface modification, defect engineering and morphology control, to tailor the properties of La-based materials for enhanced photocatalytic H2 production. In conclusion, La-based materials provide valuable insights to propel the development of efficient and sustainable photocatalytic systems for hydrogen generation.