Hierarchical nanostructures of fluorinated and naked Ta2O5 single crystalline nanorods: hydrothermal preparation, formation mechanism and photocatalytic activity for H2 production.

The hydrolysis of H(2)TaF(7) when it slowly forms via etching Ta powders with HF and H(2)O(2) under hydrothermal conditions produces hierarchical nanostructures of fluorinated and naked Ta(2)O(5) single-crystalline nanorods, which exhibit a far greater photocatalytic activity for H(2) production than commercial Ta(2)O(5) particles.