Comparative study of phases forming in niobium-antimony oxides system upon high temperature treatment and high-energy ball milling

Abstract

The compound SbNbO 4 that is formed in a ternary system of Nb-Sb-O has been obtained for the first time by high-energy ball milling of the equimolar mixture of oxides Sb 2 O 3 /Nb 2 O 5 in argon atmosphere. This compound was characterised by X-ray diffraction, differential thermal analysis- thermal gravimetry, infrared, and scanning electron microscopy methods and its properties were compared with those of SbNbO 4 also obtained as a result of high-temperature reaction between the same oxides and also in argon atmosphere. As shown by differential thermal analysis results, irrespective of the method of synthesis, SbNbO 4 is stable in argon atmosphere up to ≈ 1125 °C and in air up to ≈ 800 °C. The compound can be applied as a photocatalyst in the reaction of producing hydrogen from water.