Abstract
Nitrogen-doped titanium dioxide (N-dopedTiO2) photocatalyst was synthesized from nanotube titanic acid (denoted as NTA; molecular formulaH2Ti2O5·H2O) precursorviaa hydrothermal route in ammonia solution. As-synthesized N-dopedTiO2catalysts were characterized by means of X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, diffuse reflectance spectrometry, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, electron spin resonance spectrometry and Fourier transform infrared spectrometry. It was found that nanotube ammonium titanate (NAT) was produced as an intermediate during the preparation of N-dopedTiO2from NTA, as evidenced by the N1sX-ray photoelectron spectroscopic peak ofNH4 +at 401.7 eV. The catalyst showed much higher activities to the degradation of methylene blue and p-chlorophenol under visible light irradiation than Degussa P25. This could be attributed to the enhanced absorption of N-dopedTiO2in visible light region associated with the formation of single-electron-trapped oxygen vacancies and the inhibition of recombination of photo-generated electron-hole pair by doped nitrogen.
Highlights
Titania, as a currently known most effective photocatalyst, have been widely applied in purifying air and water, deodorization, and many other environmentally related fields [1]
In 2003, Irie et al reported a TiO2−x Nx powder prepared by annealing anatase TiO2 under an ammonia flow; and they supposed that the isolated narrow band formed above the valence band of TiO2 was responsible for the visible light response of N-doped TiO2 [10]
Samples N-NTA-130 and N-NTA-160 still retain the orthorhombic form and nanotubular morphology of precursor NTA (Figure 2). This differs from our previous finding in that the tubular shape of orthorhombic NTA is destroyed in association with conversion into anatase TiO2 when NTA is heated in distilled water at 130◦C or 160◦C [15]
Summary
As a currently known most effective photocatalyst, have been widely applied in purifying air and water, deodorization, and many other environmentally related fields [1]. In 2003, Irie et al reported a TiO2−x Nx powder prepared by annealing anatase TiO2 under an ammonia flow; and they supposed that the isolated narrow band formed above the valence band of TiO2 was responsible for the visible light response of N-doped TiO2 [10]. We make use of a hydrothermal method to prepare N-doped TiO2 by selecting NTA as a precursor, hoping to harvest TiO2-based photocatalyst with high visible light activity while heat-treatment temperature is considerably lowered as compared with that for calcination. This article reports the preparation and characterization of N-doped TiO2 photocatalyst, as well as its photocatalytic activity for the degradation of methylene blue (MB) and p-chlorophenol (4-CP) under visible light irradiation
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