High-Efficiency Preparation of N-Doped Titania with High Visible Light Photocatalytic Activity Using Composite N Precursor

Abstract:

N-doped TiO₂ nanoparticle powders were prepared efficiently by the sol-gel method using triethylamine and ammonium hydroxide as composite N precursor. The as-prepared N-doped TiO₂ precursor powders were calcined at 300°C in air for 3 h and subsequently annealed at 300°C in air for 2.5 h. The samples were characterized by X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, thermo-gravimetric analysis, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The visible light photocatalytic activities of as-prepared samples were evaluated by photodecomposition of methyl orange (MO). The results show that the as-prepared samples have high visible light photocatalytic activities. Triethylamine produces the N-species doped in TiO₂ lattice responsible for the high visible light photocatalytic activity. Ammonium hydroxide makes the gel of the TiO₂ nanoparticles nitrided by triethylamine gelate further and facilitates significantly the centrifugation of the gel. An annealing treatment can eliminate effectively the outer N species caused by ammonium hydroxide and the surface organic residues, improve effectively crystallinity, and retain the N species caused by triethylamine.

• Periodical: Key Engineering Materials (Volumes 645-646)
• Pages: 368-374
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.4028/www.scientific.net/KEM.645-646.368
• Online since: May 2015
• Authors: Yu Long Hu*, Xiao Dong Zhang, Hong Fang Liu, Xing Peng Guo
• Keywords: Annealing Treatment, Composite N Precursor, High-Efficiency Preparation, N-Doped TiO₂

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