V-Doped Niobate Nanosheets for Enhanced Photocatalytic Activity

Abstract

V-doped [Ca${}_2$Nb${}_{3-x}$V${}_x$O${}_{10}$]${}^{-}$ (x = 0, 0.15, 0.3, 0.6, 0.75) nanosheets were produced by solid state reaction followed by protonation and exfoliation by tetrabutylammonium ions. 2D nanosheets have improved photocatalytic activity due to their small thickness that reduces electron-hole recombination, larger surface area that increases photocatalytic sites, and decreased band gap from added V. V-doping has caused the wide band gap of 3.54 eV of undoped nanosheets to decrease to 2.60-2.88 eV range. 10 vol% methanol was used as a hole scavenger in the hydrogen evolution reactions, and 3 wt% Pt was deposited on nanosheets as a co-catalyst. Under a full-spectrum Xe light, [Ca${}_2$Nb${}_{2.7}$V${}_{0.3}$O${}_{10}$]${}^{-}$ has produced 4.7 times the H${}_2$ yield as undoped nanosheets with a 11.3 mmol/g/h production rate, [Ca${}_2$Nb${}_{2.7}$V${}_{0.3}$O${}_{10}$]${}^{-}$ with Pt co-catalyst has produced 2.9 times the H${}_2$ yield as undoped Pt-loaded nanosheets.

Main Paper: 6 pages, 5 figures, 1 table. Supporting Information: 4 pages, 5 figures