Ultrathin SnNb2O6 nanosheets with a thickness of ～3 nm were synthesized via a facile hydrothermal route using ultrathin K4Nb6O17 nanosheets as the precursor. This ultrathin nanosheets with a large specific surface area of 71.1 m2 g?1 showed improved visible-light photocatalytic H2-production activity in lactic acid aqueous solution, which is about 4 and 14 times higher than that of 50 nm-thick SnNb2O6 nanosheets and bulk SnNb2O6 powders, respectively. The higher activity of ultrathin nanosheets was mainly attributed to their larger specific surface area and much better charge transfer efficiency.

Chem. Commun., 2016