Preparation and characterization of nitrogen-doped TiO 2 nanoparticles by the laser pyrolysis of N 2O-containing gas mixtures

Abstract

Nitrogen-doped TiO 2 nanoparticles have been prepared by the IR laser pyrolysis technique. A sensitized mixture of TiCl 4 (vapors) and N 2O was used as titanium and nitrogen precursors, respectively. The structural properties of the resultant N-doped nanoparticles such as the phase formation and the average particle size and distributions were investigated by X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The phase composition varied from almost pure anatase to mixtures of rutile and anatase. A decrease of the mean particle diameters from about 18 nm in case of the almost pure anatase sample to about 13 nm in case of the anatase–rutile mixture is observed. XPS analysis suggests and interstitial character of the doping process.