title: Na₂V₆O₁₆·xH₂O nanoribbons: large-scale synthesis and visible-light photocatalytic activity of CO₂ into solar fuels.
abstract: An ultra-thin and super-long Na₂V₆O₁₆·xH₂O nanoribbon of ∼5 nm thickness and ∼500 μm length was synthesized by a hydrothermal method, using a freshly prepared V(3+) species precursor solution by directly dissolving a vanadium metal thread in a NaNO₃ solution using a solid-liquid phase arc discharge (SLPAD) technique. Field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) techniques were used to characterize the structure, morphology, and chemical composition. The super-long and ultra-thin geometry of the Na₂V₆O₁₆·xH₂O nanoribbons is proven to greatly promote the photocatalytic activity toward reduction of CO₂ into renewable hydrocarbon fuel (CH₄) in the presence of water vapor under visible-light irradiation.
authors.affiliation: National Laboratory of Solid State Microstructures, School of Physics, Nanjing 210093, P. R. China. zgzou@nju.edu.cn.
authors.forename: Shichao
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Feng
authors.forename: Xiaoyu
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Yong
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.forename: Wenguang
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Tu
authors.forename: Ping
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Haijin
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Zhigang
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Zou