<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?><xml><records><record><source-app name="Biblio" version="7.x">Drupal-Biblio</source-app><ref-type>17</ref-type><contributors><authors><author><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Devi, Suman</style></author><author><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Kelkar, Sarika A.</style></author><author><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Kashid, Vikas</style></author><author><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Salunke, Hemant G.</style></author><author><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Gupta, Narendra M.</style></author></authors></contributors><titles><title><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Preparation-method-dependent morphological, band structural, microstructural, and photocatalytic properties of noble metal-GaNbO4 nanocomposites</style></title><secondary-title><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">RSC Advances</style></secondary-title></titles><dates><year><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">2013</style></year><pub-dates><date><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">JUL</style></date></pub-dates></dates><number><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">37</style></number><publisher><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY</style></publisher><pub-location><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND</style></pub-location><volume><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">3</style></volume><pages><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">16817-16828</style></pages><language><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">eng</style></language><abstract><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">&lt;p&gt;We report the distinct physicochemical and photophysical properties of gallium niobate photocatalysts (bandgap: similar to 3.1 eV), prepared by a solid-state (SS) reaction and sol-gel (SG) method and dispersed with a noble metal (similar to 0.5% of Pt, Au, or RuOx) cocatalyst. SG-GaNbO4 comprised smaller size particles (similar to 20-50 nm) and a larger surface area (similar to 160 m(2) g(-1)) compared to SS-GaNbO4 (particle size similar to 30-150 nm, surface area similar to 27 m(2) g(-1)). XRD patterns revealed a preparation-dependent variation in the relative intensity of prominent reflections. In TEM examination, SG samples exhibited small-range grain boundaries and heterogeneous metal/substrate interfacial contacts, while SS-GaNbO4 had long-range ordering. Laser-Raman and thermoluminescence investigations revealed that lattice distortion, defect-induced inter-bandgap charge trapping states, and the local environment around the metal/semiconductor interfaces may also depend on the preparation method. Metal-GaNbO4 nanocomposites showed no activity for the dissociation of pure water under UV (&amp;gt;250 nm) irradiation, despite the favourable conduction and valence band potentials. This was attributed to the sharp Ga and Nb d-levels in the narrow conduction band of GaNbO4, as confirmed by ab initio electronic structure calculation. These photocatalysts, however, showed good activity for semiconductor-mediated photo-dissociation of aqueous methanol to produce H-2; a cocatalyst-dependent activity trend, Pt &amp;gt; RuOx &amp;gt; Au, was observed. Doping of S at similar to 5% of the oxygen sites led to decreased photoactivity, ascribed to the presence of localized S 3p states just above the O 2p valence level. In conclusion, besides band characteristics, certain morphological and microstructural properties play a crucial role in the photoactivity of the metal/oxide nanocomposites.&lt;/p&gt;</style></abstract><issue><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">37</style></issue><custom3><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Foreign</style></custom3><custom4><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">3.708
</style></custom4></record></records></xml>