title: Facile preparation of black Nb4+ self-doped K4Nb6O17 microspheres with high solar absorption and enhanced photocatalytic activity.
abstract: Black Nb(4+) self-doped K4Nb6O17 microspheres were prepared for the first time through a facile UV light photoreduction method. By the introduction of Nb(4+), the defective K4Nb6O17 can harvest the full spectrum of visible light as well as near-infrared light. The black K4Nb6O17 microspheres showed improved visible-light-driven photocatalytic H2 production activity. Importantly, the present synthetic approach is also applicable to the preparation of other Nb(4+) self-doped niobates.
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Photochemical Conversion and Optoelectronic Materials, Technical Institute of Physics and Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100190, P. R. China. tierui@mail.ipc.ac.cn.
authors.forename: Chao
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.forename: Yufei
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.forename: Lu
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Shang
authors.forename: Yinhu
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Cao
authors.forename: Li-Zhu
authors.initials: LZ
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: Chen-Ho
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Tung
authors.forename: Tierui
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Zhang