Abstract
A new silver tantalate material has been synthezied by heating a mixture of AgNO3, Ta2O5 and KCl at 850°C for 20h. XRD, EDX, XPS, SEM, TEM and HRTEM show that the material consists of Ag1.4K0.6Ta4O11 nanoplates, with Ag nanoparticles present on the surface, which is consistent with enhanced absorption of the material in the visible region. Addition of 0.5–5mol% of La2O3 in the preparation of Ag1.4K0.6Ta4O11 results in significant change in the morphology from nanoplates to nanoplates/nanowire composites. The photocatalytic activities of Ag1.4K0.6Ta4O11 and La-Ag1.4K0.6Ta4O11 have been evaluated by degradation of the organic pollutants rhodamine B (RhB) and pentachlorophenol (PCP) in water under visible light (λ>420nm), as well as by photocatalytic reduction of water to H2 at λ>390nm. The photocatalytic activity of Ag1.4K0.6Ta4O11 is significantly enhanced by La-doping; the optimal La content is 1mol% for degradation of organic substrates and 5mol% for H2 evolution, with photocatalytic activity significantly higher than that of P25 TiO2. The enhancement of photocatalytic activity upon La doping is attributed to trapping of excited electrons by La3+, and the formation of nanowires which further promote charge separation.
Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
