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Photoactive and Adsorptive Niobium‐Doped Anatase (TiO 2 ) Nanoparticles: Influence of Hydrothermal Conditions on their Morphology, Structure, and Properties
Author(s) -
Hirano Masanori,
Matsushima Kazumasa
Publication year - 2006
Publication title -
journal of the american ceramic society
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.9
H-Index - 196
eISSN - 1551-2916
pISSN - 0002-7820
DOI - 10.1111/j.1551-2916.2005.00648.x
Subject(s) - photocatalysis , anatase , niobium , niobium oxide , crystallite , hydrothermal circulation , materials science , hydrothermal synthesis , aqueous solution , nanoparticle , specific surface area , inorganic chemistry , adsorption , chemical engineering , oxide , chemistry , nanotechnology , organic chemistry , catalysis , metallurgy , engineering
Anatase‐type TiO 2 nanoparticles with adsorptivity and improved photocatalytic activity for the decomposition of methylene blue (MB) in its aqueous solution, which contained up to 10 mol% niobium by forming solid solutions with niobium oxide, were directly synthesized from precursor solutions of TiOSO 4 and NbCl 5 under three hydrothermal conditions in the absence and presence of urea and aqueous ammonia at 180°C for 5 h. The influence of the hydrothermal conditions on the crystallite growth, morphology, specific surface area, adsorptivity, and photocatalytic activity of niobium‐doped TiO 2 was investigated. The crystallite growth of anatase was enhanced by the presence of the niobium component. The 10 mol% niobium‐doped TiO 2 that was prepared under the hydrothermal condition in the presence of urea had fine crystallites (11 nm) and high specific surface areas (135 m 2 /g), which showed the most enhanced photocatalytic activity and the highest adsorptivity. The hydrothermal treatment under weak basic conditions and formation of solid solutions with niobium oxide brought about a considerable increase in the adsorption of MB for the anatase‐type TiO 2 .