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.