Hydrothermal synthesis of bamboo-shaped nanosheet KNb3O8 with enhanced photocatalytic activity

Abstract

A new type of bamboo-shaped KNb3O8 nanosheet was synthesized by using a two-step hydrothermal method. In particular, an effect of potassium content on the phase formation of KNb3O8 in the second-step hydrothermal process at pH=5–6 was investigated. Specific surface area, structural properties and optical characteristics of the as-synthesized samples were investigated by using Brunauer–Emmett–Teller measurement, X-ray diffraction analysis, scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy and UV–visible diffuse reflectance. Furthermore, the photocatalytic degradation performances of the bamboo-shaped KNb3O8 nanosheet and a rod-like KNb3O8 prepared by using molted salt method were also investigated and compared in terms of degradation of Rhodamine B, and the results indicated that the bamboo-shaped KNb3O8 nanosheet had a higher photocatalytic activity.