In situ C,N-codoped mesoporous TiO2 nanocrystallites with high surface areas and worm-like structure for efficient photocatalysis

Abstract

A novel worm-like C,N-codoped TiO2 nanoparticles was successfully synthesized using tetrakis(dimethylamino)titanium (TDMAT) as both titanium oxide and nitrogen-dopant sources, meanwhile the mesoporous carbon molecular sieves CMK-3 was employed as hard template as well as carbon doping source. The morphology, structure and photocatalytic activity of as-prepared C,N-codoped TiO2 were studied in detail. Results showed that the carbon and nitrogen elements were successfully codoped into the TiO2 lattice, which was proven to be responsible for the enhanced visible-light-driven photocatalytic activity than that of commercial P25. The interaction between the active TDMAT and CMK-3 play an important role in C,N doping process, and we also found that the annealing temperature influenced little on the average pore diameter (4.88–5.21 nm) and particle size (9.5–13.9 nm), which can be attributed to the template effect. By adjusting the annealing temperature in argon, the maximum reaction rate constant of 0.12 min−1 was achieved at 900 °C. This work provided an effective way to prepare C,N-codoped TiO2 by in situ carbonization and nitriding with controlled particle sizes.