Titanium Source Research Articles

The comparative study of two kinds of β-Bi2O3/TiO2 binary composite and their removal of 17ɑ-ethynylestradiol.

In this work, we used TiO2 nanobelts and P25 particles as titanium sources to combine with β-Bi2O3 to form β-Bi2O3/TiO2 and β-Bi2O3/P25 composites. The prepared samples were characterized by X-ray diffraction analysis (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), infrared spectroscopy (IR), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and UV-vis absorbance spectroscopy and fluorescence spectroscopy. The structure and performance of two composites were comparatively investigated, and the β-Bi2O3 molar ratios in them were optimized and their roles in them were studied. The results showed that the TiO2 nanobelts and commercial TiO2 (P25) particles combined with β-Bi2O3 nanosheets. The optimal molar ratios of Bi to Ti element in two kinds of composites are 1:1. The β-Bi2O3 in P25/β-Bi2O3 makes more contribution to the improvement of photocatalytic activity of them than that in β-Bi2O3/TiO2 because P25 particles are distributed on β-Bi2O3 nanosheet more uniformly. The photocatalytic activities of β-Bi2O3/TiO2 (0.02275min-1) and β-Bi2O3/P25 (0.02382min-1) are 3.72 times and 3.90 times than that of pure β-Bi2O3 (0.0061min-1) for EE2 removal. The enhanced photocatalytic activities of two kinds of composites are ascribed to photo-induced interfacial charge transfer on the heterojunction between β-Bi2O3 and TiO2 or P25. From the economic view, β-Bi2O3/P25 composites are better than β-Bi2O3/TiO2 because TiO2 nanobelts in the β-Bi2O3/TiO2 composite are obtained from P25 via extra hydrothermal treatment in strong alkaline environment. The free radical capture experiment indicated that the dominant reactive species are h+ and •O-2 for EE2 removal by TiO2/β-Bi2O3 and P25/β-Bi2O3 composites.

Effect of CdS shell thickness on the photocatalytic properties of TiO2@CdS core–shell nanorod arrays

Rutile TiO2 nanorod arrays (NRAs) with average diameter approximately 80 nm were first synthesized by solvothermal method using Ti foil as both titanium source and substrate. And then TiO2@CdS core–shell heterostructure NRAs were fabricated via subsequent successive ionic layer adsorption and reaction (SILAR) route using the TiO2 NRAs as precursor. The thicknesses of CdS shell varied from 4 to 18 nm by changing the times of SILAR cycle. The photocatalytic performances of pure TiO2 and all TiO2@CdS NRAs were investigated on the degradation of rhodamine B (RhB) aqueous solution under simulated sunlight irradiation. Compared to pure TiO2 NRAs, all TiO2@CdS NRAs displayed superior photocatalytic activities, and the optimal CdS shell thickness of TiO2@CdS NRAs was about 11 nm. A possible Z-scheme electron transfer mechanism for TiO2@CdS NRAs nanocomposite with the enhanced photocatalytic performance was provided.

Sphene (titanite)

Few people have heard of the mineral sphene (also called titanite), but it is nevertheless extremely widespread, occurring in most common rocks. It can be useful to the Earth scientist as it contains information on the timing, temperature and pressure of formation of many common rocks. It is also a source of titanium—and can sometimes be used as a gemstone.

Surfactant effect on controllable phase transformation and UV-shielding performance of titanium dioxide

The crystalline structure, size and morphology of TiO2 have crucial influence on its physicochemical performance. The crystal growth process includes crystal transformation and morphology evolution, which is closely related to the solution environment. In this work, rutile TiO2 was synthesized via surfactant-assisted method by using titanium sulfate as titanium source. Factor associated with crystalline structure of TiO2 were investigated including surfactant type and concentration. Results showed that when the concentration of cetyltriethylammonium bromide (CTMAB) was greater than or equal to 3 mmol/L, or the concentration of dodecyltriethylammonium bromide (1231) was greater than or equal to 4 mmol/L, surfactants promoted transformation from anatase to rutile titania. The UV-shielding performance of the surfactant-aided titania increased, and the band gap width decreased by 0.2–0.3 eV. More importantly, we found that the cationic surfactant played a decisive role in anatase-rutile transformation of titania. The microspherical cationic surfactant micelles were chelated by electrostatic adsorption and [TiO6] octahedron, and the [TiO6] octahedron tended to grow to the opposite side, which was formed to form rutile titania.

Facile Formation of Anatase/Rutile TiO2 Nanocomposites with Enhanced Photocatalytic Activity.

Anatase/rutile mixed-phase TiO2 nanoparticles were synthesized through a simple sol-gel route with further calcination using inexpensive titanium tetrachloride as a titanium source, which effectively reduces the production cost. The structural and optical properties of the prepared materials were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and UV-vis adsorption. The specific surface area was also analyzed by Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET) method. The anatase/rutile mixed-phase TiO2 nanocomposites containing of rod-like, cuboid, and some irregularly shaped anatase nanoparticles (exposed {101} facets) with sizes ranging from tens to more than 100 nanometers, and rod-like rutile nanoparticles (exposed {110} facets) with sizes ranging from tens to more than 100 nanometers. The photocatalytic activities of the obtained anatase/rutile mixed-phase TiO2 nanoparticles were investigated and compared by evaluating the degradation of hazardous dye methylene blue (MB) under ultraviolet light illumination. Compared to the commercial Degussa P25-TiO2, the mixed-phase TiO2 nanocomposites show better photocatalytic activity, which can be attributed to the optimal anatase to rutile ratio and the specific exposed crystal surface on the surface. The anatase/rutile TiO2 nanocomposites obtained at pH 1.0 (pH1.0-TiO2) show the best photocatalytic activity, which can be attributed to the optimal heterojunction structure, the smaller average particle size, and the presence of a specific exposed crystal surface. The enhanced photocatalytic activity makes the prepared anatase/rutile TiO2 photocatalysts a potential candidate in the removal of the organic dyes from colored wastewater.

Fabrication of hierarchically structured surfaces with “rose petal” effect by a modified breath figure method

Biomimetic surfaces with the hierarchical structure consisting of multilayered pore microstructures and TiO2 hollow nanostructures were fabricated by combining a modified breath figure method and a dip-coating technique. For creating the hierarchical structure, acetylacetone-chelated and non-chelated tetrabutyltitanates in the coating solution were used as the titanium sources to produce the titanium-based gel film and hollowly nanostructured TiO2, respectively. Meanwhile, the smaller and larger water droplets condensed in sequence during the breath figure process were used as the templates to generate the hollow structures and pore structures, respectively. The parameters of the hierarchical structures, including the pore diameter, pore density and the output of TiO2 hollow nanostructures, were conveniently tailored by varying the volume ratio of tetrabutyltitanate to acetylacetone in the coating solution. The as-prepared titanium-based gel films on glass substrates can be transformed into the corresponding anatase TiO2 films by a subsequent annealing process. The synthesized films were characterized by scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction pattern, thermogravimetry and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. The designed hierarchical structure effectively endows the films with the rose-like superhydrophobic behavior, and the introduction of TiO2 hollow nanostructures within multilayered pores plays an important role in the superhydrophobic property and the strong adhesion to a water droplet.

An efficient approach for the synthesis of magnetic separable Fe3O4@TiO2 core-shell nanocomposites and its magnetic and photocatalytic performances

A convenient and efficient approach for the synthesis of Fe3O4@TiO2 nanocomposites with core-shell structure has been demonstrated. It takes four steps for synthesis process. Oleic acid-coated monodisperse Fe3O4 nanoparticles are obtained firstly, and surface modified Fe3O4 nanoparticles are followed to proceed. Then Fe3O4@TiO2 core-shell nanocomposites are subsequently synthesized using tetrabutyl titanate (TBOT) as titanium source and some polar aprotic solvents used as the mixed solvents. The obtained core-shell structure is composed of a central Fe3O4 nanoparticle core with sequential TiO2 surface, whereas the outer TiO2 coating was useful for the degradation of organic contaminants. Different core-shell nanocomposites in different polar solution are obtained. Shell thickness of Fe3O4@TiO2 nanocomposites could be adjusted rationally by changing synthetic conditions. The measurements of the magnetic properties demonstrate that the Fe3O4@TiO2 core-shell nanocomposites exhibit magnetic behavior at room temperature. The degradation of methylene blue solution was also explored.

TiO2/SiO2 membrane materials via a sol–gel process: preparation and characterization calcined under N2 atmosphere

The study presents the synthesis of TiO2/SiO2 membrane materials using sol–gel method by hydrolysis of tetrabutyl titanate (TBOT) with ethanol and water mixture as titania source, tetraethylorthosilicate (TEOS) and methyltriethoxysilane (MTES) as silica source. The microstructure of the composites were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectra, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive spectrum (EDS), N2 absorption–adsorption measurement and thermogravimetric-differential thermogravimetric (TG-DTG) analysis. The as obtained TiO2/SiO2 membrane materials showed the existence of Si–O–Ti, which indicates that the SiO2 is chemically bonded with the TiO2 particles. The TiO2 nanoparticles have entered into the channels of SiO2 network. The TiO2-doping decreased the mean pore diameter, and increased the surface area and porosity of SiO2 materials. The TiO2/SiO2 membrane materials with Ti/Si molar ratio of 0.4 exhibit a large BET surface area (up to 284.04 m2/g) and total pore volume (up to 0.272 cm3/g), as well as a mean pore diameter of about 2.49 nm.

Synthesis of N-doped TiO2 Nanoparticle by Solvothermal Method for Dye Treatment

Nitrogen-doped titanium dioxide (NT) was synthesized by solvothermal method. Titanium (IV) butoxide (TBOT) was used as a titanium source and diethyleneamine (DEA) was used as a nitrogen source. The DEA concentration was fixed at 5% mol. The effect of the synthesized temperatures was studied (150 °C to 200 °C). The characterization results showed that the XRD patterns of NT synthesized by solvothermal method exhibited only anatase structure of TiO2 at 25.56° (101), 37.76° (004), 48.04° (200), 48.18° (105), 54.06° (211), 55.24° (204), 62.76° (116), 69.04° (220), 70.32° (215) and 75.30° (303). The crystallite sizes of NT (13-14 nm) were smaller than that of TiO2 (22.39 nm) while the surface area of NT (31-47 m2g−1) was larger than that of TiO2 (6.42 m2g−1). This indicated that doping N on TiO2 had a significant effect on crystallite size and surface area of TiO2. The photocatalytic activities of NT were evaluated by decolorization of 10−5 M methylene blue (MB) under LED visible light irradiation. The result showed that the photocatalytic performance of TiO2 was significantly improved by N dopant with the efficiency of 90%. However, the synthesized temperatures had no significant effect on the physical properties and the photocatalytic reactivity of NT.

Surfactant-Free Synthesis of Single-Crystalline Bi4Ti3O12 Nanosheets with Excellent Visible-Light Photocatalytic Activity

Single-crystalline Bi4Ti3O12 nanosheets with a thickness less than 10 nm and a lateral size larger than 20 μm have successfully synthesized via a surfactant-free hydrothermal route by employing K2Ti6O13 nanofibers prepared in advance as titanium sources. The as-prepared samples were characterized by X-ray diffraction, field emission scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), high-resolution TEM, and selected area electron diffraction, respectively. The results revealed that the single-crystalline Bi4Ti3O12 nanosheets are dominated with (010) facets. In general, the slow exfoliation of TiO6 octahedron lamella and the fast combination of the subnitrate radicals with the Bi3+ ions situated in (010) planes induce the crystallization of the single-crystalline Bi4Ti3O12 nanosheets. In addition, the as-prepared single-crystalline Bi4Ti3O12 nanosheets propose a narrowed gap of ca. 2.41 eV and after modified by Pt-quantum-dots exhibit excellent visible-light photocatalytic activity. It is believed that the surfactant-free in the hydrothermal system induce more amount of surface state responsible for the narrowed gap and the excellent visible-light photocatalytic activity.

Photocatalytic Performance of NiO/NiTiO3 Composite Nanofiber Films

Photocatalytic degradation of pollutants is one of the cleanest technologies for environmental remediation. Herein, we prepared NiO/NiTiO3 heterostructure nanofiber (200 nm) films by electrospinning and high temperature heat treatment, using nickel acetate and tetrabutyltitanate as nickel and titanium sources, respectively. The NiO/NiTiO3 heterostructure has advantages of good photodegradation rate constant and stability. By controlling the temperature, we can optimize the phase composition of these nanofibers for better photocatalytic performance. Based on our findings of the Rhodamine B degradation results, the best performance was obtained with 10% NiO and 90% NiTiO3; 92.9% of the Rhodamine B (5 mg/L) was degraded after reaction under full spectrum irradiation for 60 min. More importantly, the repeating test showed that these nanofiber films can remain active and stable after multiple cycles. The mechanisms of the photocatalysis reactions were also discussed. This demonstration provides a guideline in designing a new photocatalyst that we hope will serve the environmental needs for this and the coming century.

Synthesis and Characterization of TiO2 Nanoparticle as Adsorbent on The Treatment of Methylene Blue Dye Pollutant

The dye of methylene blue (MB) is organics pollutant from chemical industries. The parameter of MB content are available as methylene blue active substance (MBAS) do not exceed 200 µg/L. The treatment of MB dye pollutant can be done by adsorption process with TiO2 nanoparticle. This aim of this research was synthesized of TiO2 nanoparticle using PVA as surfactant and titanium tetraisoproxide (TTIP) as titanium source through sol-gel preparation to hydrothermal process at temperature 400 and 600oC. The result of XRD spectrum was shown the tetragonal crystal, the phase of anatase, and the size of particle was 1.66 to 3.15 nm. Infrared spectroscopy of Ti-O functional group was at 467 cm-1 and there were hydroxyl groups of the surface TiO2. DSC analysis was indicated the thermal stability of TiO2 at 250oC. Application of TiO2 nanoparticle as an adsorbent to photodegradation of MB with Hg lamp 150 watt during 60 minutes. The highest of adsorption capacity at the sample TiO2-600 was 217 mg/g and effectiveness adsorption was 81%. Isoterm adsorption process of MB by TiO2 nanoparticle can be obtained with Langmuir and Freundlish equation, with the determined coefficient value were close to 1. These results suggest of TiO2 nanoparticle was indicated highly potential to apply for the treatment of pollutant industries.

An investigation on titanium doping in reduced graphene oxide by RF magnetron sputtering for dye-sensitized solar cells

A study investigating the effects of titanium (Ti) atoms sputtered from different sources on substrate distance was attempted in order to effectively dope a reduced graphene oxide (rGO) thin film surface. Factors such as crystallinity, morphology, phase formation, light absorption, and surface chemical state of rGO-TiO2 were investigated. As a result, functional groups or chemical states revealed the presence of Ti-O-C in rGO-TiO2 nanocomposite after the sputtering process. The titanium source from the target was of Ti3+ species as determined using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). It was found that average sized Ti3+ ions of around 59.4 nm were incorporated into the rGO nanosheet. A customized Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells (DSSCs) device was fabricated with the photo-anode consisting of sputtered rGO-TiO2 nanocomposite. After optimization, the Ti target allocated with 10 cm-apart FTO glass-coated rGO nanosheet and 0.67 cm2 active area exhibited an ideal PCE of 6.60%, which is remarkably higher than the usual 5 cm sputtering distance the sample (1.90%) had achieved.

Supramolecular self-assembly synthesis of ordered mesoporous TiO2 from industrial TiOSO4 solution and its photocatalytic activities

Abstract The ordered mesoporous titanium dioxide precursor was prepared via supramolecular induced self-assembly synthesis route by controlling the hydrolysis conditions of industrial TiOSO4 solution and the pH of the reacting system to adjust the agglomeration, condensation and self-assembly rate of template and inorganic titanium source, using composite surfactant template (CTAB and P123) as the structure-directing agents and industrial low concentration TiOSO4 solution as titanium source. The ordered mesoporous titania was obtained after template removal and calcination, with hexaganol mesoporous structure, SBET of 216.3 m2/g, average pore diameter of 3.35 nm and anatase phase. And it showed high photocatalytic activity for methylene blue with the discoloration rate of 99.9%. The as-prepared materials were characterized by XRD, HRTEM, SAED and nitrogen adsorption and desorption method. The hydrated colloid particles of TiO2 and composite template interacted through static force and hydrogen bond on the interface, cooperated to form the mesoporous structure, and the mesopore formation mechanism belonged to a synergistic mechanism.

Preparation and catalytic mechanism of N-TiO2 based different heterojunction catalytic materials

TiO2-ZnO, TiO2-Fe2O3, TiO2-NiO binary heterojunction nanocomposites were synthesized by hydrothermal method using tetrabutyl titanate (TBT) as titanium source. Phase composition, microscopic shape ,functional group characteristics and optoelectronic properties of samples were characterized by x-ray diffractometry (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and ultraviolet-visible diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (UV-vis DRS), cyclic voltammetry(CV),electrochemical impedance spectra(EIS) and Tafel polarization curve(Taf). The photocatalytic properties of TiO2, TiO2-ZnO, TiO2-Fe2O3 and TiO2-NiO were analyzed by the ability of degradation of methyl orange under visible light irradiation. The experimental results show that the binary heterojunction nanocomposites have been successfully constructed to promote the separation of photogenerated electron-hole pairs and improve the photoelectric performance. The photocatalytic results show that TiO2-NiO exhibits the best photocatalytic performance due to the difference in light utilization efficiency and charge transfer characteristics, which is consistent with the charge transfer resistance of TiO2 > TiO2-ZnO > TiO2-Fe2O3 > TiO2-NiO in EIS results. At the same time, the degradation kinetics of methyl orange (MO) in TiO2-NiO binary heterojunction nanocomposites under visible light irradiation is faster than other samples that can be completed in 160 min. The results show that TiO2-NiO binary heterojunction nanocomposites have broad application prospects in water treatment and wastewater treatment.

Formation of highly conformal spinel lithium titanate thin films based on a novel three-step atomic layer deposition process

Lithium titanate (Li4Ti5O12) (LTO) has several promising properties with regard to energy storage. The most important is its low volume expansion during lithium (de-) intercalation enabling the material for complex three-dimensional battery anode designs. To employ this property at a small scale, e.g., for micro batteries (<100 nm active layer thickness), a highly conformal deposition process like atomic layer deposition (ALD) is needed. However, the ALD of lithium containing layers is quite ambitious. Particularly, thermally activated deposition of lithium containing layers with water as a coreactant is challenging due to the high reactivity and hygroscopic nature of many lithium compounds, e.g., lithium hydroxide. That is why a novel ALD process regime has been developed, which allows the deposition of highly conformal and single phase LTO layers with excellent step coverage and composition. The process uses two metalorganic precursors: one acting as lithium and another as a titanium source. In contrast to usual ALD processes, these two precursors are subsequently applied. The reactive pulse with water is applied after the two metal precursor pulses. In this work, this novel ALD process sequence has been introduced and successfully demonstrated on 200 mm wafers using standard industrial ALD equipment. The layers are transformed to single phase Li4Ti5O12 by rapid thermal processing as proven by crystal phase analysis. Elemental composition has been analyzed by time of flight secondary ion mass spectrometry and x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). Results show that the amounts of contaminants like carbon and chlorine are below the detection limits of XPS. Also, a uniform element distribution and stoichiometry in good agreement with theoretical expectations for lithium titanate could be shown.

Enhanced Photocatalytic Performance and Mechanism of Au@CaTiO3 Composites with Au Nanoparticles Assembled on CaTiO3 Nanocuboids.

Using P25 as the titanium source and based on a hydrothermal route, we have synthesized CaTiO3 nanocuboids (NCs) with the width of 0.3–0.5 μm and length of 0.8–1.1 μm, and systematically investigated their growth process. Au nanoparticles (NPs) of 3–7 nm in size were assembled on the surface of CaTiO3 NCs via a photocatalytic reduction method to achieve excellent Au@CaTiO3 composite photocatalysts. Various techniques were used to characterize the as-prepared samples, including X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), scanning/transmission electron microscopy (SEM/TEM), diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (UV-vis DRS), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). Rhodamine B (RhB) in aqueous solution was chosen as the model pollutant to assess the photocatalytic performance of the samples separately under simulated-sunlight, ultraviolet (UV) and visible-light irradiation. Under irradiation of all kinds of light sources, the Au@CaTiO3 composites, particularly the 4.3%Au@CaTiO3 composite, exhibit greatly enhanced photocatalytic performance when compared with bare CaTiO3 NCs. The main roles of Au NPs in the enhanced photocatalytic mechanism of the Au@CaTiO3 composites manifest in the following aspects: (1) Au NPs act as excellent electron sinks to capture the photoexcited electrons in CaTiO3, thus leading to an efficient separation of photoexcited electron/hole pairs in CaTiO3; (2) the electromagnetic field caused by localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) of Au NPs could facilitate the generation and separation of electron/hole pairs in CaTiO3; and (3) the LSPR-induced electrons in Au NPs could take part in the photocatalytic reactions.

Preparation of K2Ti6O13 fibers by electrospinning for near-infrared reflectivity

Abstract Ceramic coatings have been widely used in industrial fields. K2Ti6O13 fibers could be a potential coating material for low thermal conductivity, high mechanical strength and infrared reflectivity. The precursor fibers, using potassium acetate (CH3COOK) and tetrabutyl titanate (TBOT) as potassium and titanium sources, were prepared by the electrospinning technique with the sol-gel method. To prepare K2Ti6O13 fibers, the mole ratio of K/Ti was adjusted from 1:2 to 1:3. The transformation of other phases of potassium titanates was characterized by XRD patterns and Raman spectra. The effects of mole ratio of K/Ti on morphology of samples have been investigated. Well-crystallized fibers were prepared with single-crystal K2Ti6O13 structure. The corresponding morphology and microstructure evolution were studied by SEM and TEM. The as-obtained K2Ti6O13 fibers possessed the high near-infrared (NIR) reflectivity of 98%.

Removal of Cr(VI) from wastewater through glycine assisted synthesis of TiO2

In this study, titanium dioxide was synthesized via solution combustion method. Titanium(IV) oxysulfate was used as a titanium source. The fuel type, reaction time, and reaction temperature were tested for optimization. The glycine was set as a suitable fuel. Structural properties of the final product were characterized by p-XRD. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and BET techniques were used to examine the morphology. The synthesized products were compared to the commercial TiO$_{2}$ and it was found that the titanium dioxide with the high surface area (63.628 m$^{2}$/g) has been successfully synthesized by solution combustion method with time and energy saving. In the second part of the study, the adsorption efficiencies of synthesized titanium dioxide were tested, removal of Cr(VI) from wastewater was carried out. It was found that titanium dioxide obtained via solution combustion method has a better capacity for Cr(VI) removal from wastewater than commercial titanium dioxide. In consequence, the chosen synthesis method modified the surface properties and improved the chromium adsorption capacity.

Easy and convenient synthesis of CNT/TiO2 nanohybrid by in-surface oxidation of Ti3+ ions and application in the photocatalytic degradation of organic contaminants in water

Organic/inorganic nanohybrid materials are a new type of functional materials that have attracted great interest in the last decades, due to their exceptional optical, electrical, mechanical, thermal and catalytic properties. The present study reports a modified sol gel method, so-called “in-surface oxidation of Ti3+ ions”, for the synthesis of carbon nanotube/titania (CNT/TiO2) nanohybrids. The CNT/TiO2 nanohybrid material was synthesized with different volumes of TiCl3 as the titanium source. To analyze their morphology, textural, surface crystallographic and optical properties the materials were characterized by Scanning and Transmission Electron Microscopy (SEM and TEM), X-ray Diffraction (XRD), Fourier Transformed Infrared (FT-IR), Energy-Dispersive X-ray analysis (EDX), X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS), Raman, BET and UV–Vis Diffuse Reflectance Spectroscopy (UV-DRS). The morphological, physico-chemical and textural aspects to account for the results are exhibited. Interestingly, the TiO2 nanoparticles are well dispersed on CNT surface of the nanohybrid. More interestingly, doping of nitrogen atoms in CNT during the Ti3+ oxidation step increases the nucleation sites on CNT surface. The quality of the TiO2 coating depends on various reaction conditions such as temperature and TiCl3 concentration. The photocatalytic performance of the photocatalysts was tested by degradation of methyl orange. The experimental results indicate that the C–O–Ti, N–Ti–O and Ti–C bonding between CNT and TiO2 in the nanohybrid material promoted a good photogenerated charge separation, thus greatly improving the photocatalytic activity of the nanohybrid photocatalyst, when compared to pure TiO2.