Enhanced activity of Tantalum (V) nitride nanoparticles for toluene decomposition under visible light irradiation

Abstract

Toluene is an aromatic pollutant that can be widely found in many industries. Due to its toxicity, its total decomposition has been investigated by many researchers using various ways. One alternative way is the usage of catalyst and light to decompose toluene. However, so far, it is still remained as a challenge. On the other hand, the need to use cheap, abundant, and safe sources to prevent our sustainability makes the utilization of solar energy one of the ideal solutions for our problems. As visible light is the main part of our solar energy, the development of photocatalysts that able to work under visible light irradiation is highly required. One of the efforts to realize it is by designing materials that able to absorb visible light especially that of longer wavelength, such as up to 600 nm. A red color-material, Tantalum (V) nitride (Ta3N5) is one such potential photocatalyst. Its photocatalytic activity was discovered for water splitting reaction under visible light irradiation [1]. Recent progress reported that Ta3N5 nanoparticles showed higher activity than the bulk Ta3N5 for hydrogen evolution [2] and methylene blue degradation [3].