NaTaO3

NaTaO3, or sodium tantalate, is a mixed oxide composed of sodium, tantalum, and oxygen with a perovskite-like structure. In the crystal, sodium ions occupy the A-site positions and tantalum sits on the B-site, coordinated by oxygen to form TaO6 octahedra. The material typically adopts an orthorhombic, perovskite-related structure and is described as a distorted or defective perovskite in some formulations.

Synthesis of NaTaO3 is commonly accomplished by solid-state reaction of Na2CO3 and Ta2O5 at high temperatures, typically in the range of 800–1100 °C, with careful control of sodium content to minimize loss. Alternative routes such as sol–gel, hydrothermal, or molten-salt methods are used to influence particle size, crystallinity, and surface properties.

Properties of NaTaO3 include a wide band gap, around 4 eV, which makes it primarily active under ultraviolet light. It is chemically stable and behaves as an n-type semiconductor. Its electronic structure supports photoinduced charge separation, enabling certain photocatalytic applications, particularly under UV illumination. Doping, formation of solid solutions, or coupling with other oxides can modify its optical absorption and catalytic performance.

Applications of NaTaO3 have focused on photocatalysis, including water-splitting reactions to generate hydrogen and the degradation of organic pollutants. In many studies, performance is enhanced by incorporating co-catalysts or creating heterojunctions with other materials, as well as by structural and compositional tuning. Beyond photocatalysis, the material and related tantalate perovskites are also explored in ceramic and dielectric research due to their perovskite-like framework.