Powders Nb 2 O 5 were prepared by two different synthesis method, Sol-Gel and polymeric precursors (Pechini). In the Pechini method before adding the citric acid in the process, four different solutions were used to get the samples. For Sol-gel method, two different processes were also used in obtaining powders. The precursor was completely solubilized in ethanol and then hydrolyzed with ammonia and water. The calcination of the samples was between 500 and 750°C. The resulting powders were characterized by Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), Brunauer, Emmett and Teller (BET) surface area measurements, UV-visible and Raman spectroscopy. The formation of T−Nb 2 O 5 orthorhombic took place upon calcination at 7500C. Crystallite sizes were determined using the Scherrer method which resulted in an uniformed size of about 25 − 65nm. Ultraviolet-Visible diffuse reflectance spectroscopy indicated a variation in the optical band gap values (3.32-3.40 eV) in crystal growth process. The Raman vibrational modes indicate the presence of the orthorhombic phase of the material.
In order to improve the behavior Niobium pentoxide on oxidation‐reductionreactions to degrade organic compounds in aqueous solutions, we developed the synthesis of Niobium pentoxide with the metal doping agents: manganese,iron, and nickel (Nb2−xMxO5), respectively, and analyzing its effects on the structural and vibrational properties. The synthesis of the Nb2−xMxO5 (M = Mn, Fe, and Ni; x = 0.02 and 0.05) was performed according the Pechini method, but before the annealing, the samples were submitted to Thermogravimetric analysis study showing better pre‐calcination annealing temperatures at 500 and 700°C for the materials. Then, we performed the crystal structural analysis by X‐ray Diffraction, obtaining crystallite sizes between 15 and 47 nm, the accurate size analysis was calculated by Scherrer equation. Structural analysis was also performed by IR spectroscopy to evaluate the vibrational modes of synthetized samples. The dopping effects were evaluated by UV‐Vis spectrophotometry through the energy band gap values, showing that doped samples with manganese and iron had lower values than undoped, except the sample doped with nickel. However, samples doped with iron at 2.5% showed better photocatalytic performance.
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