Novel nitrogen-doped anatase TiO2 mesoporous bead photocatalysts for enhanced visible light response

Abstract This work reports the synthesis and characterization of a novel, high surface area N-doped anatase TiO 2 mesoporous bead as a photocatalyst for visible light photodegradation. The beads were prepared using a two-cycle microwave-assisted hydrothermal method using three different types of nitrogen dopants: diaminohexane, triethylamine, and urea. In the first cycle, TiO 2 mesoporous beads with controlled structures were synthesized at 200 °C without further calcination. The obtained beads were then subjected to a second cycle of microwave -assisted hydrothermal process for nitrogen doping. The photocatalytic activity of the N-doped mesoporous TiO 2 beads was determined by measuring the decomposition of a methyl blue aqueous solution under UV and visible light. It was found that different precursors lead to different degrees of doping which enhances the light absorption primarily in the visible light region. We demonstrate that the photocatalytic activity or photodegradation is enhanced in the visible light region.