Unveiling the role of peroxo groups in Nb2O5 photocatalytic efficiency under visible light

Peroxo-Nb2O5 photocatalyst with visible-light activity was fabricated via a one-pot hydrothermal oxygen peroxide method for the first time. The one-pot synthesis employing different H2O2 concentrations promoted simultaneous crystallization and surface groups formation that impacted the photocatalytic efficiency. It was demonstrated that the presence of peroxo groups acted as charge mediators in a photooxidative process since the samples did not present any band gap shift to visible. The catalyst reutilization indicated that the photocatalytic effect is not temporary, reinforcing the chemical role of peroxo groups as charge mediators. (C) 2020 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.