Facile synthesis and characterization of low crystalline Nb2O5 ultrafine nanoparticles as a new efficient photocatalyst

Low crystalline Nb2O5 ultrafine nanoparticles were successfully prepared via a facile solvothermal method using NbCl5 as precursor in this investigation. The crystalline structure of the Nb2O5 ultrafine nanoparticles is characterized by the X-ray diffraction (XRD) and high resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM). The Nb2O5 nanoparticles have large surface area and very fine particle size, which are favorable for increasing the active sites to take part in the catalytic reaction. The Nb2O5 nanoparticles exhibited high degradation rates for organic dye degradation under visible light irradiation and exhibited stable photocatalytic hydrogen evolution activity under simulated sunlight irradiation. The nanocrystals highly dispersed in the amorphous matrix are found to be responsible for the photocatalytic ability of the material.