Oxygen-defects modified amorphous Ta2O5 nanoparticles for solar driven hydrogen evolution

An oxygen-deficient amorphous Ta 2 O 5 nanoparticle photocatalyst was synthesized by a solvothermal method and thermal annealing in Ar atmosphere. The as-prepared Ta 2 O 5 photocatalysts possess improved hydrogen evolution activities compared to pristine Ta 2 O 5 and commercial Ta 2 O 5 under the irradiation of simulated solar light. Therein, Ta 2 O 5 nanoparticles annealing at 400 °C exhibit the most preferable catalytic performance of 10.67 μmol g −1  h −1 . The enhanced performance can be attributed to the existence of oxygen defects in the samples, which can facilitate the separation and migration of photogenerated carriers thereby reducing the probability of recombination.