Enhanced Photocatalytic Activities of Ta₂O₅ and Nitrogen Co-Doped TiO₂ under Visible Light Irradiation

Tantalum dioxide and nitrogen co-doped titanium dioxide nanopowders, denoted as (Ta2O5, N) co-doped TiO2, were fabricated by a high-energy ball miller using TiO2, Ta2O5 and urea as raw materials. Experiments on the photocatalytic activities of the (Ta2O5, N) co-doped TiO2 were carried out in the form of photodegradation of methylene blue (MB) in aqueous solution under visible light irradiation. Enhanced photocatalytic activities were observed for the (Ta2O5, N) co-doped TiO2 than commercial Degussa P25. Besides, physical, chemical and optical properties, including XRD, DRS, and XPS were detected to analyze the origins for the enhanced photocatalytic activities of the prepared samples.