Characterization and photocatalytic study of tantalum oxide nanoparticles prepared by the hydrolysis of tantalum oxo-ethoxide Ta₈(μ₃-O)₂(μ-O)₈(μ-OEt)₆(OEt)₁₄

• Subia Ambreen,
• N D Pandey,
• Peter Mayer and
• Ashutosh Pandey

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2014, 5, 1082–1090, doi:10.3762/bjnano.5.121

• the organic dye rhodamine B. Keywords: bandgap; tantalum-oxo-ethoxide; Tauc plot; tantalum pentoxide (Ta2O5); Introduction Metal alkoxides, being excellent precursors in the sol–gel process for preparation of metal oxides have attained huge attention of researchers. Several attempts have been made

• [16][17][18][19][20][21]. The present work deals with the study of the controlled hydrolysis of tantalum ethoxide in the presence of ammonia and to prepare tantalum pentaoxide nanoparticles. In this process the stable intermediate tantalum oxo-ethoxide with composition Ta8(μ3-O)2(μ-O)8(μ-OEt)6(OEt)14

• ]. Conclusion In summary, herein we report the formation of the tantalum oxo-ethoxide compound Ta8(μ3-O)2(μ-O)8(μ-OEt)6(OEt)14 (1) through a sol–gel route in which hydrous ammonia gas was passed into a solution of tantalum ethoxide in toluene. Ta2O5 powder was obtained when a complete hydrolysis of 1 was