Preparation, characterization and photocatalytic activity of N-doped TiO2 nanocrystals

• Key Words:photocatalyst; degradation; nitrogen doping; TiO2 nanocrystals; visible light; crystal violet
• Abstract:N-doped TiO2 nanocrystals were prepared using titanium alkoxide as precipitant with different proportional materials. The products were characterized by X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, and UV-vis diffuse reflectance spectra. It is confirmed experimentally that the photocatalytic activity of N-doped TiO2 is much higher than that of Degussa P25, when used for the degradation of crystal violet. The degradation kinetics follows an apparent first-order reaction, which is consistent with a generally observed Langmuir-Hinshelwood mechanism. The doping of TiO2 with nitrogen significantly increases the absorption in the region of visible light. The energy of the band gap of N-doped TiO2 is 2.92 eV. The better performance of N-doped TiO2 can be explained by the fact that it is also excited with longer-wavelength light.
• Volume:16
• Issue:6
• Translation or Not:no