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Rapid and controlled electrochemical synthesis of crystalline niobium oxide microcones

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  26 June 2015

Basamat S. Shaheen ,
Timothy C. Davenport ,
Hanadi G. Salem ,
Sossina M. Haile  and
Nageh K. Allam
Basamat S. Shaheen
Affiliation:
Energy Materials Laboratory, School of Sciences and Engineering, The American University in Cairo, New Cairo 11835, Egypt Materials Science, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California 91125
Timothy C. Davenport
Affiliation:
Materials Science, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California 91125
Hanadi G. Salem
Affiliation:
Energy Materials Laboratory, School of Sciences and Engineering, The American University in Cairo, New Cairo 11835, Egypt
Sossina M. Haile
Affiliation:
Materials Science, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California 91125
Nageh K. Allam*
Affiliation:
Energy Materials Laboratory, School of Sciences and Engineering, The American University in Cairo, New Cairo 11835, Egypt Materials Science, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California 91125
*
Address all correspondence to N. K. Allam at[email protected]
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Abstract

We demonstrate the fabrication by anodization of niobium oxide microcones, several microns long, from aqueous solutions of 1 wt% hydrogen fluoride (HF) with varied sodium fluoride (NaF) concentration (0–1 M). Raman spectroscopy and x-ray diffractometer analysis revealed the as-grown microcones to be crystalline Nb2O5−x with preferred (1 0 0) and (0 1 0) orientations. The overall Nb2O5−x formation rate increased with the increasing NaF concentration, and structures as tall as 20 μm were achieved in just 20 min of anodization at 1 M NaF. Rapid formation of niobia microcones was even observed in the absence of HF at this NaF concentration. Photocatalytic activity for water oxidation was highest for microcones grown under the highest NaF concentration.

Type
Research Letters
Information
MRS Communications , Volume 5 , Issue 3 , September 2015 , pp. 495 - 501
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 2015 

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