Óxidos de nióbio: uma visão sobre a síntese de nanotubos de Nb2O5

Abstract

Niobium, an element with atomic number 41, is a metal that has been gaining prominence in the global industry due to its versatility, economic advantages, and longterm supply availability. It is an extremely versatile metal and can be used in various industry sectors, such as automobiles, petrochemicals, energy, health, electronics, among others. One of the characteristics of niobium is that it enhances the resistance of materials and improves their properties: it’s addition to metallic alloys gives the material notable mechanical resistance, strengthens the tenacity of the alloys, makes them more durable in corrosive environments, improves the electrical conductivity and influence on the efficiency of specific chemical reactions due to the formation of catalytic complexes. Niobium exhibits several polymorphic phases, and these different crystalline structures directly impact the properties of the materials in which niobium is incorporated, and this ability to transition between these phases is often influenced by temperature changes, which allows the customization of the properties of the materials. Materials, which makes niobium an element of great interest for materials engineering, enabling the creation of alloys adapted to different demands. Research in different areas is showing a growing interest in niobium oxides, especially niobium pentoxide Nb2O5. It presents chemical and physical properties suitable for a wide range of applications, such as catalyst, semiconductor component in solar cells, photocatalyst, etc. Brazil is a pioneer in research into niobium oxides and occupies a prominent position on the world stage, which suggests great potential for exploring this material. By obtaining a nanometer-scale material and observing changes in it’s properties compared to the initial material, we characterize it as a nanostructured material. Currently, the synthesis of these materials is made possible by several methodologies, such as the hydrothermal method, chemical decomposition in the vapor phase and the template technique, which stand out for enabling precise control of the size and shape of the particles. Based on these considerations, the objective of this work is to carry out a qualitative review of the literature regarding the synthesis of niobium oxide nanotubes.