Mesoporous Ta(3)N(5) microspheres prepared from a high-surface-area, microporous, amorphous precursor and their visible-light-driven photocatalytic activity.

A light Ta3N5: Mesoporous Ta3N5 microspheres were synthesized by thermally nitriding a high-surface-area, microporous, amorphous Ta2O5 precursor at 750 °C, which is lower than the 900 °C needed for the complete nitridation of micrometer-sized Ta2O5 powder. The mesoporous Ta3N5 microspheres show significantly enhanced visible-light photoactivity in the degradation of methylene blue (MB) compared with similar photocatalysts reported under similar conditions.