Incorporation of sodium into Nb12O29 by high temperature synthesis

Abstract Reduced niobium oxides, predominantly whiskers and thin platelets of Nb 12 O 29 , were prepared by isothermal chemical vapour transport at 900°C using NaCl as transporting agent. It was shown by energy dispersive (EDS) microanalysis in scanning and transmission electron microscopes as well as by bulk chemical analysis that the ∼Nb 12 O 29 crystals contain sodium in an amount corresponding to Na/Nb=0.02–0.08.