Synthesis and Visible-light Photocatalytic Performance of C-doped Nb₂O₅ with High Surface Area

Abstract

C-doped Nb₂O₅ with abundant mesopores has been successfully synthesized through a facile solvothermal synthetic strategy followed by calcination treatment. The resulting C-doped Nb₂O₅ displayed the highest BET surface area(345 m²/g) and large mesopore size(ca. 4.2 nm), capable of offering more accessible active sites as well as faster mass transfer for catalysis. Besides, the doping of C(2.21%, molar fraction) at the O sites in Nb₂O₅ lattice greatly enhanced visible-light response by lowering the band gap, thereby making the material a photocatalyst under visible-light irradiation. Typically, the C-doped Nb₂O₅ exhibited a high H2 evolution rate of ca. 39.10 μmol·g^–1·h^–1 and also degraded RhB dye completely after 30 min of visible light exposure, which turned out to be much better than Degussa P25 and pure Nb₂O₅ catalysts.

Keywords

C-Doped / Highest BET surface area / Degradation RhB / H₂ evolution

References

[1] Osterloh F. E. Chem. Mater., 2008, 20(1): 35.

[2] Ni M., Leung M. K. H., Leung D. Y. C., Sumathy K. Renew Sust. Energ. Rev., 2007, 11(3): 401.

[3] Zhang J. J., Li L., Hao Y. T., Sun L. L., Zhang X. Y. Chem. J. Chi-nese Universities, 2017, 38(2): 238.

[4] Chen X. B., Shen S. H., Guo L. J., Mao S. S. Chem. Rev., 2010, 110(11): 6503.

[5] Kim J., Henao C. A., Johnson T. A., Dedrick D. E., Miller J. E., Ste-chel E. B., Maravelias C. T. Energ. Environ. Sci., 2011, 4(9): 3122.

[6] Mubeen S., Singh N., Lee J., Stucky G. D., Moskovits M., McFar-land E. W. Nano Lett., 2013, 13(5): 2110.

[7] Han F., Kambala V. S. R., Srinivasan M., Rajarathnam D., Naidu R. Appl. Catal. A: Gen., 2009, 359(1/2): 25.

[8] Liu S. H., Sun X. D., Li J. G., Li X. D., Xiu Z. M., Yang H., Xue X. X. Langmuir, 2010, 26(6): 4546.

[9] Li R., Yu L. M., Yan X. F., Jiang T. Chem. J. Chinese Universities, 2017, 38(2): 267.

[10] Liang H. O., Bai J., Yu D. D., Zhang Q. Y., Li C. P. Chem. J. Chinese Universities, 2017, 38(6): 947.

[11] Liang R. Y., Xu D. D., Zha W. Y., Qi J. Z., Huang L. H. Chem. J. Chinese Universities, 2016, 37(11): 1953.

[12] Sun L. Z., Zhao S. Z., Gao Z. L., Cheng Z. Q. Chem. J. Chinese Universities, 2017, 38(6): 907.

[13] Fujishima A., Honda K. Nature, 1972, 238(5358): 37.

[14] Ding Z., And G. Q. L., Greenfield P. F. J. Phys. Chem. B, 2000, 104(19): 4815.

[15] Khan S. U., Alshahry M., Jr I. W. Science, 2003, 34(2): 2243.

[16] Wolcott A., Smith W. A., Kuykendall T. R., Zhao Y. P., Zhang J. Z. Adv. Funct. Mater., 2009, 19(12): 1849.

[17] Yang X. Y., Wolcott A., Wang G. M., Sobo A., Fitzmorris R. C., Qian F., Zhang J. Z., Li Y. Nano Lett., 2009, 9(6): 2331.

[18] Chakrabarti S., Dutta B. K. J. Hazard. Mater., 2004, 112(3): 269.

[19] Chen X. Y., Yu T., Fan X. X., Zhang H. T., Li Z. S., Ye J. H., Zou Z. G. Appl. Surf. Sci., 2007, 253(20): 8500.

[20] Ge S., Jia H., Zhao H., Zheng Z., Zhang L. J. Mater. Chem., 2010, 20(15): 3052.

[21] Gu D. E., Lu Y., Yang B. C., Hu Y. D. Chem. Commun., 2008, 21: 2453.

[22] Sathish M., Viswanathan B., Viswanath R. P., Gopinath C. S. Chem. Mater., 2005, 17(25): 6349.

[23] Silva M. K., Marques R. G., Machado N. R. C. F., Santos O. A. A. Braz. J. Chem. Eng., 2002, 19(4): 359.

[24] Suzuki N., Athar T., Huang Y. T., Shimasaki K., Miyamoto N., Ya-mauchi Y. J. Ceram. Soc. Jpn., 2011, 119(1390): 405.

[25] Zhao Y., Eley C., Hu J. P., Foord J. S., Ye L., He H. Y., Tsang S. C. E. Angew. Chem. Int. Ed., 2012, 51(16): 3846.

[26] Wang X., Chen G., Zhou C., Yu Y. G., Wang G. Eur. J. Inorg. Chem., 2012, 11: 1742.

[27] Vettraino M., He X., Trudeau M., Drake J. E., Antonelli D. M. Adv. Funct. Mater., 2010, 12(3): 174.

[28] Fontaine R., Caillat R., Feve L., Guittet M. J. J. Electron. Spectrosc. Relat. Phenom., 1977, 10(4): 349.

[29] Dr S. S., Dr H. K. Angew. Chem., 2003, 42(40): 4908.

[30] Nedfors N., Tengstrand O., Lewin E., Furlan A., Eklund P., Hultman L., Jansson U. Surf. Coat. Tech., 2011, 206(2/3): 354.

[31] Li Y., Hwang D. S., Lee N. H., Kim S. J. Chem. Phys. Lett., 2005, 404(1): 25.

[32] Ren W. J., Ai Z. H., Jia F. L., Zhang L. Z., Fan X. X., Zou Z. G. Appl. Catal. B: Environ., 2007, 69(3/4): 138.