Comprehensive analysis of structural, morphological, surface chemistry, and optical traits of multifaceted SrTiO3 for enhanced photocatalytic and DSSC applications

Abstract

The present study underlines the facile synthesis of SrTiO<inf>3</inf> nanoparticles through sol-gel approach and subsequently its dual applicability as photocatalyst for methylene blue degradation and photoanode in dye-sensitized solar cell fabrication. Structural and optical characterizations, including XRD with Rietveld refinement, SEM, TEM, XPS, Raman, UV–Vis, and PL spectroscopy, confirms a cubic perovskite phase with an optical bandgap of ∼3.24 eV. The ST NPs demonstrates enhanced photocatalytic activity under visible light, degrading ∼56.13 % of 10 ppm MB in 120 min. Kinetic studies under UV light further validated the degradation mechanism. As photoanodes in DSSCs, the ST NPs exhibit enhance photocurrent responses, especially when combined with natural pomegranate dye, suggesting their viability for renewable energy devices. These findings highlight the potential of strontium titanate nanoparticles for both photocatalytic applications and dye-sensitized solar cell fabrication, offering an eco-friendly and effective solution to address energy and environmental challenges. © 2025 Elsevier Ltd