Solvent free synthesis of Ta2O5 nanoparticles and their photocatalytic properties

A new route is developed to prepare the Ta2O5 nanostructures without using any solvents. From the XRD pattern, phase change of hexagonal to orthorhombic of Ta2O5 is observed. The surface morphology is characterized using SEM and FE-SEM. From the optical analysis, the band energy is found to be 3.7 eV and 3.75 eV. The photocatalytic activity is evaluated by measuring the degradation of MO dye under UV irradiation. Ta2O5 in orthorhombic phase shows higher photocatalytic activity than that of hexagonal phase. (C) 2018 Author(s).