Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Novel sulfur-doped niobium pentoxide nanoparticles: fabrication, characterization, visible light sensitization and redox charge transfer study

  • Original Paper
  • Published:
Journal of Sol-Gel Science and Technology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Novel sulfur-modified niobium(V) oxide nanoparticles (SNON) that firstly exhibited good visible light sensitization were fabricated by a modified sol–gel technique using a very stable sol containing niobium(V) chloride, oxalic acid, isopropanol as chelating agent and thiourea as sulfur source. The resulting S-doped Nb2O5 nanomaterials were characterized by cyclic voltammetry (CV), X-ray diffraction (XRD), energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDAX), scanning electron microscope (SEM), ultra-violet diffuse reflectance (UV-DRS) and thermogravimetry thermal Analysis (TG-DTA). As against the response of unmodified niobium(V) oxide nanoparticles (UNON), the doped samples show different electrochemical response indicating an induced charge transfer across the niobium pentoxide/solution interface, thus forming two anodic peaks and a cathodic peak. This important observation was confirmed by UV-DRS in terms of band bending due to sulfur doping. Upon sulfur-modification, the absorption edge extends into the visible light region. The SEM observation shows that the SNPN existed in the mode of polycrystalline structure and the average grain size 63 nm. The EDAX analysis of undoped Nb2O5 and sulfur doped Nb2O5 shows the Nb2O5 (98%) and S (2%) content of nanopowder. These SNON nanoparticles are expected to be suitable candidates as visible light niobium(V) oxide nanoparticles sensitization.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6
Fig. 7

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Ge S, Jia H, Zhao H, Zheng Z, Zhang L (2010) First observation of visible light photocatalytic activity of carbon modified Nb2O5 nanostructures. J Mater Chem 20:3052–3058

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  2. Li Y, Yan S, Qian L, Yang W, Xie Z, Chen Q, Yue B, He H (2006) Effect of tin on Nb2O5/α-Al2O3 catalyst for ethylene oxide hydration. J Catal 241:173–179

    Article  Google Scholar 

  3. Carniti P, Gervasini A, Biella S, Auroux A (2006) Niobic acid and niobium phosphate as highly acidic viable catalysts in aqueous medium: fructose dehydration reaction. Catal Today 118:373–378

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. Yamashita K, Hirano M, Okumura K, Niwa M (2006) Activity and acidity of Nb2O5–MoO3 and Nb2O5–WO3 in the Friedel-Crafts alkylation. Catal Today 118:385–393

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. de Paiva JB, Monteiro WR, Zacharias MA, Rodrigues JA, Cortez GG (2006) Characterization and catalytic behavior of MoO3/V2O5/Nb2O5 systems in isopropanol decomposition Braz. J Chem Eng 23:517–524

    Google Scholar 

  6. Prado AG, Bolzon LB, Pedroso CP, Moura AO, Costa LL (2008) Nb2O5 as efficient and recyclable photocatalyst for indigo carmine degradation. Appl Catal B 82:219–224

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  7. Chen XY, Yu T, Fan XX, Zhang HT, Li ZS, Ye JH, Zou ZG (2007) Enhanced activity of mesoporous Nb2O5 for photocatalytic hydrogen production. Appl Surf Sci 253:8500–8508

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  8. Esteves A, Oliveira LCA, Ramalho TC, Goncalves M, Anastacio AS, Carvalho HWP (2008) New materials based on modified synthetic Nb2O5 as photocatalyst for oxidation of organic contaminants. Catal Commun 10:330–332

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. Saupe GB, Zhao Y, Bang J, Yesu NR, Carballo GA, Ordonez R, Bubphamala T (2005) Evaluation of a new porous titanium-niobium mixed oxide for photocatalytic water decontamination. Microchem J 81:156–162

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  10. Xing JC, Shan ZC, Li KQ, Bian JJ, Lin XP, Wang WD, Huang FQ (2008) Photocatalytic activity of Nb2O5/SrNb2O6 heterojunction on the degradation of methyl orange. J Phys Chem Solids 69:23–28

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  11. Lin HY, Huang HC, Wang WL (2008) Preparation of mesoporous In–Nb mixed oxides and its application in photocatalytic water splitting for hydrogen production. Microporous Mesoporous Mater 115:568–575

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  12. Torres JD, Faria EA, SouzaDe JR, Prado AGS (2006) Preparation of photoactive chitosan–niobium (V) oxide composites for dye degradation. J Photochem Photobiol A 182:202–206

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  13. Prado AGS, Faria EA, SouzaDe JR, Torres JD (2005) Ammonium complex of niobium as a precursor for the hydrothermal preparation of cellulose acetate/Nb2O5 photocatalyst. J Mol Catal A: Chem 237:115–119

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  14. Matsui H, Kira K, Karuppuchamy S, Yoshihara M (2009) The electronic behaviors of visible light sensitive Nb2O5/Cr2O3/carbon clusters composite materials. Curr Appl Phys 9:592–597

    Article  Google Scholar 

  15. Habibi MH, Nasr-Esfahani M (2008) Silver doped TiO2 nanostructure composite photocatalyst film synthesized by sol–gel spin and dip coating technique on glass. Int J Photoenergy ID:628713

  16. Habibi MH, Vosoghian H (2005) Photocatalytic degradation of some organic sulfides as environmental pollutants using titanium dioxide suspension. J Photochem Photobiol A: Chem 172:45–52

    Article  Google Scholar 

  17. Habibi MH, Hassanzadeh A, Mahdavi S (2005) The effect of operational parameters on the photocatalytic degradation of three textile azo dyes in aqueous TiO2 suspensions. J Photochem Photobiol A: Chem 172:89–96

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  18. Habibi MH, Talebian N (2006) Characterization and photocatalytic activity of nanostructured indium tin oxide thin-film electrode for azo-dye degradation. Thin Solid Films 515:1461–1469

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  19. Habibi MH, Talebian N, Choi JH (2007) The effect of annealing on photocatalytic properties of nanostructured titanium dioxide thin films. Dyes Pigm 73:103–110

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  20. Habibi MH, Talebian N (2007) Photocatalytic degradation of an azo dye X6G in water: a comparative study using nanostructured indium tin oxide and titanium oxide thin films. Dyes Pigm 73:186–194

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  21. Kominami H, Oki K, Kohno M, Onoue SI, Kera Y, Ohtani B (2001) Novel solvothermal synthesis of Niobium(V) oxide powders and their photocatalytic activity in aqueous suspensions. J Mater Chem 11:604–609

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  22. Tsuzuki T, McCormick PG (2001) Mechanochemical synthesis of niobium pentoxide nanoparticles mater. Trans 42:1623–1628

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  23. Campos EA, Gushikem Y (1997) Composite membrane of Niobium(V) oxide and cellulose acetate: preparation and characterization. J Coll Interface Sci 193:121–129

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  24. Sayama K, Sugihara H, Arakawa H (1998) Photoelectrochemical properties of a porous Nb2O5 electrode sensitized by a ruthenium dye. Chem Mater 10:3825–3830

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  25. Yamazaki M, Kojima K, Shiraishi H, Maegawa A (1997) Observation of green upconversion fluorescence in Er3+ doped Nb2O5 prepared by the sol–gel method. Phys Chem Glasses 38:246–247

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  26. Catauro M, Pagliuca C, Lisi L, Ruoppolo G (2002) Synthesis of alkoxide-derived V-Nb catalysts prepared by sol–gel route. Thermochim Acta 381:65–67

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  27. Ristic M, Popovic S, Music S (2004) Sol–gel synthesis and characterization of Nb2O5 powders. Mater Lett 58:2658–2663

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  28. Reddy KM, Baruwati B, Jayalakshmi M, Rao MM, Manorama SV (2005) S-, N- and C-doped titanium dioxide nanoparticles: synthesis, characterization and redox charge transfer study. J Solid State Chem 178:3352–3358

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  29. Habibi MH, Kamrani R, Mokhtari R (2010) Fabrication and characterization of copper nanoparticles using thermal reduction: the effect of nonionic surfactants on size and yield of nanoparticles. Microchim Acta 171:91–95

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  30. Habibi MH, Zendehdel M (2010) Fabrication and characterization of self-assembled multilayer nanostructure titania with high preferential (101) orientation on alumina thin films using layer by layer dip-coating method. Current Nanoscience 6:642–647

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  31. Aegerter MA (2001) Sol–gel niobium pentoxide: a promising material for electrochromic coatings, batteries, nanocrystalline solar cells and catalysis. Sol Energy Mater Sol Cells 68:401–422

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  32. Parthasarathy M, Ramgir NS, Sathe BR, Mulla IS, Pillai VK (2007) Surface-state-mediated electron transfer at nanostructured ZnO multipod/electrolyte interfaces. J Phys Chem C 111:13092–13102

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  33. Hamann TW, Gstrein F, Brunschwig BS, Lewis NS (2005) Measurement of the free energy dependence of interfacial charge-transfer rate constants using ZnO/H2O semiconductor/liquid contacts. J Am Chem Soc 127:7815–7824

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  34. Barros Filho DA, Abreu filho PP, Werner U, Aegerter MA (1997) Photoelectrochemical properties of sol–gel Nb2O5 films. J Sol–Gel Sci Technol 8:735–742

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  35. Lindgren T, Mwabora JM, Avedano E, Jonsson J, Hoel A, Granquist CG, Lindquist SE (2003) Photoelectrochemical and optical properties of nitrogen doped titanium dioxide films prepared by reactive DC magnetron sputtering. J Phys Chem B 107:5709–5716

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  36. Santiago FF, Mora-Sero I, Garcia-Belmonte G, Bisquert J (2003) Cyclic voltammetry studies of nanoporous semiconductors. Capacitive and reactive properties of nanocrystalline TiO2 electrodes in aqueous electrolyte. J Phys Chem B 107:758–768

    Article  Google Scholar 

  37. Provenzano PL, Jindal GR, Sweet JR, White WB (2001) Flame excited luminescence in the oxides Ta2O5, Nb2O5, TiO2, ZnO, and SnO2. J Lumin 92:297–305

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  38. Prado AGS, Bolzon LB, Pedroso CP, Moura AO, Costa LL (2008) Nb 2 O5 as efficient and recyclable photocatalyst for indigo carmine degradation. Appl Catal B: Environ 82:219–224

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

The authors wish to thank the University of Isfahan for financially supporting this work.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Nanotechnology Laboratory, Department of Chemistry, University of Isfahan, 81746-73441, Isfahan, I.R. Iran

    Mohammad Hossein Habibi & Reza Mokhtari

Authors
  1. Mohammad Hossein Habibi
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Reza Mokhtari
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Mohammad Hossein Habibi.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Habibi, M.H., Mokhtari, R. Novel sulfur-doped niobium pentoxide nanoparticles: fabrication, characterization, visible light sensitization and redox charge transfer study. J Sol-Gel Sci Technol 59, 352–357 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10971-011-2510-z

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10971-011-2510-z

Keywords

Search

Navigation