Visible-Photocatalytic performance of TiO2 particles simply achieved by surface nitridation and coatings fabricated by electrophoretic deposition (EPD) process

Abstract

Originally, surface-nitridated TiO2 particles were prepared by urea decomposition under hydrothermal treatment. After the surface nitridation, the absorption onset was extended to the visible region due to narrowed band gap of ∼ 3.10 eV comparable to that of ∼ 3.28 eV for pristine TiO2. Due to narrowed band gap, the surface-nitridated TiO2 distinguishably had the visible photocatalytic ability under 440 nm. The visible-photocatalytic nitridated TiO2 particles was successfully fabricated as dense coatings with controllable transparency by electrophoretic deposition (EPD) process.