PREPARATION OF SILICA PILLARED CA2NB3O10 AND ITS PHOTOCATALYTIC ACTIVITY

Silica pillared Ca2Nb3O10 was prepared from the layered perovskite KCa 2Nb3O10 via alkylammonium ion intercalated Ca2Nb3O10. The obtained mat erials were characterized by XRD, TEM, NMR, and BET measurements. The interlayer spacing increased in parallel with the length of the alkyl chain of intercalated alkylamines although the BET surface area was no t reflected in this increase. The photocatalytic activity of the silic a pillared Ca2Nb3O10 was studied for H-2 evolution from aqueous alcoho l solutions. Marked increase by ca. 30 times in activity was obtained for silica pillared Ca2Nb3O10 compared with the original HCa2Nb3O10 in an aqueous propanol or butanol solution, while no difference was obse rved in an aqueous methanol solution. The result was interpreted in te rms of the intercalation of the reactant alcohol molecules into the in terlayer space.