Black titania, with greatly improved solar absorption, has demonstrated its effectiveness in photocatalysis and photoelectrochemical cells (PEC), inspiring us to explore the blackening of other wide band-gap oxide materials for enhanced performance. Herein, we report the fabrication of black, reduced Nb2O5 nanorods (r-Nb2O5), with active exposed (001) surfaces, and their enhanced photocatalytic...

We report here on the controlled synthesis, characterization, and electrochemical properties of different polymorphs of niobium pentoxide grown by CVD of new single-source precursors. Nb2O5 films deposited at different temperatures showed systematic phase evolution from low-temperature tetragonal (TT-Nb2O5, T-Nb2O5) to high temperature monoclinic modifications (H-Nb2O5). Optimization of the pre...

The IR spectra of bulk Nb2O5‚nH2O and niobia supported on SiO2, Al2O3, ZrO2, and TiO2 were recorded in the fundamental and overtone NbdO regions, as well as in the hydroxyl region, to develop a better understanding of the structural models of surface NbOx species. The coincidence of the IR and Raman fundamental NbdO frequency in Nb2O5/Al2O3, Nb2O5/ZrO2, and Nb2O5/TiO2 provides the strongest evi...

The reaction of pentaethoxy niobate, Nb(OEt)5, at elevated temperature (800 C) under autogenic pressure provides a chemical route to niobium oxide nanorods coated with amorphous carbon. This synthetic approach yielded nanocrystalline particles of Nb2O5@C. As prepared Nb2O5@C core-shell nanorods is annealed under air at 500 C for 3 h (removing the carbon coating) results in neat Nb2O5 nanorods. ...

One-dimensional γ-Al2O3 nanofibers were modified with Nb2O5 to be used as an efficient heterogeneous catalyst to catalyze biomass into 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (5-HMF). At low Nb2O5 loading, the niobia species were well dispersed on γ-Al2O3 nanofiber through Nb-O-Al bridge bonds. The interaction between Nb2O5 precursor and γ-Al2O3 nanofiber results in the niobia species with strong Lewis acid si...

Glass/Nb2O5 and Nb/Nb2O5 electrodes were prepared by electrodeposition and used as anodes for electrochemical degradation of chlorpyrifos (CPF) in aqueous solution. Different operating conditions and factors affecting the treatment process including current density, temperature, initial concentration of chlorpyrifos, pH, conductive electrolyte and time of electrolysis were studied and optimized...

Nb-doped 0.8BaTiO3-0.2Bi(Mg0.5Ti0.5)O3 ceramics were prepared by conventional solid-state method. The dielectric properties and the structural properties were investigated. When Nb2O5 is doped into 0.8BT-0.2BMT system, a small amount of Ba4Ti12O27 secondary phase is formed. The lattice parameters gradually increase with the Nb2O5 doping. It is found that the temperature-capacitance characterist...

Objective: To determine the influence of niobium pentoxide (Nb2O5) addition on the physical and chemical properties of glass ionomer cements (GICs). Materials and methods: Five, 10 or 20 wt.% of Nb2O5 were incorporated into commercial GICs (Maxxion R, Vitro Molar, Vitro Fil R) and one group of each GIC remained without Nb2O5 (control groups). The GICs were evaluated by Knoop hardness, compressi...

Single-crystalline nanoporous Nb2O5 nanotubes were fabricated by a two-step solution route, the growth of uniform single-crystalline Nb2O5 nanorods and the following ion-assisted selective dissolution along the [001] direction. Nb2O5 tubular structure was created by preferentially etching (001) crystallographic planes, which has a nearly homogeneous diameter and length. Dense nanopores with the...

This study has designed and implemented a library of hetero-nanostructured catalysts, denoted as Pd@Nb2O5, comprised of size-controlled Pd nanocrystals interfaced with Nb2O5 nanorods. This study also demonstrates that the catalytic activity and selectivity of CO2 reduction to CO and CH4 products can be systematically tailored by varying the size of the Pd nanocrystals supported on the Nb2O5 nan...