A carbon modified NaTaO3 mesocrystal nanoparticle with excellent efficiency of visible light induced photocatalysis

Abstract

A carbon modified NaTaO₃ mesocrystal nanoparticle (ca. 20 nm) was successfully synthesized by a one-pot solvothermal method, employing TaCl₅ and NaOH as the starting materials and distilled water/EG mixed solution as a reaction solvent in the presence of appropriate amounts of glucose. The mesocrystal sample presented a high specific surface area 90.8 m² g⁻¹ with large amounts of well-dispersed mesopores in the particle, owing to the co-effect of EG and glucose during the reaction process. A non-classic mechanism of formation was proposed for the growth of the NaTaO₃ mesocrystal. Furthermore, the NaTaO₃ mesocrystal exhibited considerably improved visible light absorption in addition to the intrinsic UV light absorption as a result of carbon modification originated from glucose. On the basis of the large specific surface area, high crystallinity and optical property, the carbon modified NaTaO₃ mesocrystal demonstrated excellent efficiency for continuous NO gas destruction under irradiation of UV, short wavelength visible lights (>400 m) and even long wavelength visible light (>510 nm), considerably superior to those of the unmodified NaTaO₃ specimen and commercial titania, P25. The carbon modified NaTaO₃ mesocrystal nanoparticles prepared in this work would probably have potential utilization in environmental purification and energy conversion.