Trapped molecular species in N-doped TiO2

Abstract

Nitrogen-doped TiO2, a novel photocatalyst active in the decomposition of organic pollutants using visible light, contains several different types of paramagnetic centers. These are molecular species, such as NO and NO2 radicals and other species, deeply interacting with the TiO2 structure. All or part of these species is related to specific properties of the solid. Electron paramagnetic resonance has been employed to characterize the N-containing paramagnetic species present in N-doped anatase TiO2 powders obtained via sol-gel synthesis. In the present work attention is focused on molecular species generated during the synthesis process and segregated in cavities of the TiO2 structure.