title: Self-assembled 3D hierarchical sheaf-like Nb3O7(OH) nanostructures with enhanced photocatalytic activity.
abstract: Novel three-dimensional (3D) hierarchical Nb3O7(OH) nanostructures with a sheaf-like nanoarchitecture were fabricated for the first time by a hydrothermal process. Interestingly, the nanosheafs are composed of nanorods with an average diameter of about 25 nm. The as-prepared 3D hierarchical nanostructures possess a high surface area of 77 m(2) g(-1) with pore diameters of ca. 4.2-12.5 nm. A possible growth mechanism based on the combined Ostwald ripening and self-assembly process was proposed. It is found that both the valence-band top and the conduction-band bottom consist of O 2p and Nb 4d orbitals. Importantly, the 3D hierarchical Nb3O7(OH) nanostructures exhibit enhanced photocatalytic activity for the degradation of Rhodamine B (RhB) under UV-visible light, which is attributed to the unusual hierarchical structure, high surface area, and hybridization of energy bands.
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Materials Processing and Die & Mould Technology, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430074, China. huxl@mail.hust.edu.cn huangyh@mail.hust.edu.cn.
authors.forename: Pei
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Hu
authors.forename: Dongfang
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Hou
authors.forename: Yanwei
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Wen
authors.forename: Bin
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Shan
authors.forename: Chaoji
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Yunhui
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: Xianluo
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Hu