Niobium and tantalum doped titania particles

Abstract

Niobium and tantalum doped anatase were prepared by thermal hydrolysis of peroxotitanium complex aqueous solutions containing of niobium or tantalum peroxo-complexes at 100 °C for 3 days. Niobium-doping increased the unit cell constants of anatase and changed the morphology of TiO2from spindle-like to rectangular or square cross section. Nb and Ta doping in the TiO2nanostructure increases the anatase to rutile transformation temperature to >1000 °C. In the visible region, the photocatalytic activity is directly proportional to the concentration and increases with increasing of Nb concentration. The niobium addition enhances the photocatalytic activity of titania in the visible light region.