Size-controlled photochemical synthesis of niobium nanoparticles

The size of photochemically-prepared niobium nanoparticles (NbNP) can be controlled by varying the concentration of the photoinitiator in the reaction mixture. The particles, which may be metallic in nature, are readily oxidized upon air exposure to form stable niobium(V) oxide nanoparticles (NbONP) that act as strong Bronsted acids.