Preparation of interlayer surface tailored protonated double-layered perovskite H2CaTa2O7 with n-alcohols, and their photocatalytic activity

N-alkyl chains have been successfully grafted into the interlayer space of a Ruddlesden-Popper-type double-layered peroviskite, H2CaTa2O7, via a hydrolysis-esterification process. During the chemical graft process, the parent layered structure is well preserved with magnifying the tailored c lattice parameter. IR and solid-state C-13 CP/MAS NMR spectra indicated that oxyalkyl chains were successfully introduced. Thermogravimetric curves of the products exhibit the amount of n-alkoxyl groups per perovskite unit [CaTa2O7] is approximated to 1. A linear relationship with a slope of 0.478 nm per carbon atom is observed between the c lattice parameter and the number of carbon atoms in the n-alkyl chains, which illustrates that the n-alkyl chains form bilayers with a tilt angle of 70 degrees. The photocatalytic activities of these products are also discussed. The 1-octadecanol derivative of H2CaTa2O7 is found to serve as an excellent catalyst for the catalytic reduction of rhodamine B (RhB) and methyl orange (MO), which is set as a novel example of an application of this tailored n-propoxy derivative of H2CaTa2O7.