Particularities of trichloroethylene photocatalytic degradation over crystalline RbLaTa2O7 nanowire bundles grown by solid-state synthesis route

•RbLaTa2O7 nanowire and platelets are obtained by solid-state reaction method.•Morphology of layered RbLaTa2O7 is tuned by optimization of synthesis conditions.•Strong surface basicity and high density −OH favors photomineralization of TCE.•Weak basicity lead to preferential formation of intermediate chlorinated compounds.