Hydrothermal preparation and photocatalytic properties of sheet-like nanometer niobate K4Nb6O17

The K4Nb6O17 photocatalyst with sheet-like nanostructure was obtained by the hydrothermal synthesis. The morphologies and structure of the photocatalyst were characterized by scanning electron microscope (SEM), high-resolution transmission electron microanalysis (HTEM) and X-ray diffractometer (XRD). K4Nb6O17 can be synthesized at 180-250 degrees C for 12h and its crystallinity increases with increasing the reaction temperature. The photocatalytic activity of K4Nb6O17 obtained for photodegrading acid red G is much higher than that of P25-TiO2. (c) 2007 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.