Thermal decomposition preparation and characterization of Ta 2 O 5 nanoparticles with the aid of different acids and investigation of its photocatalyst application

In the current study, an attempt is made to synthesize tantalum pentoxide (Ta 2 O 5 ) nanoparticles via a thermal decomposition route with the aid of tantalum salt in an aqueous solution. Besides, capping agents such as salicylic acid, sulfanilic acid, and cinnamic acid were used to investigate their effects on the morphology and particle size of Ta 2 O 5 nanoparticles. XRD, SEM, EDS, and UV–Vis spectroscopy were employed to characterize structural, morphological, and optical properties of tantalum pentoxide nanoparticles. According to the vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM) result, Ta 2 O 5 nanoparticles indicated a ferromagnetic behavior at room temperature. Furthermore, the photocatalytic properties of as synthesized Ta 2 O 5 were evaluated by degradation of methyl orange (MO) as water contaminant.