Photodegradation of Methylene Blue using Nb-doped titania nanotubes with adsorption and photocatalytic properties

Abstract

The development of materials for the effective photoremoval of contaminants using eco-friendly methods is challenging. This study reports the synthesis of Nb-doped titania nanotubes (TNTs) and Nb-doped TiO2 nanoparticles for application in photocatalysis. Their performance was assessed from color removal of Methylene Blue solutions. Morphological characterization showed that Nb-doped TNTs had a porous network structure made up of nanotubes and nanosheets with a large aspect ratio. The lowest pore diameter alongside uniform pore size distribution were obtained with Nb-doped TNTs at 6 at.% Nb, which yielded the highest performance. Nb-doped TNTs may become a prominent photocatalyst for water treatment.