Synthesis of shape-controlled Nb3O7F/NbB2 heterostructure: A new idea to synthesize binary hybrid materials by incomplete reaction

Niobium oxide fluoride/niobium diboride (Nb3O7F/NbB2) heterostructures with urchin-like and nanowall-like morphologies were synthesized by a facile hydrothermal approach. The high-density one-dimensional Nb3O7F nanoneedle arrays and two-dimensional Nb3O7F nanosheets stand on the surface of NbB2 cores. Here a new idea is proposed to synthesize binary heterostructure by in situ “incomplete reaction”. Ultraviolet–visible spectra showed that such heterostructure has a wide absorption peak at around 270 nm and the absorption edge of the products synthesized at higher temperature shifts to longer wavelength because of stronger nanometric effect.