Photocatalyst N-doped titanium oxide nanoparticles: Fabrication, characterization and investigation of the effect of doping on methyl orange dye degradation

چکیده مقاله

The N/TiO2 nanoparticles were synthesized via sol–gel technique by using Titanium isopropoxide (TTIP) and Triethylamine N(CH₂CH₃)₃ as precursors . The framework substitution of Nitrogen into TiO2 nanoparticles was evaluated by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy equipped with energy dispersive X-ray microanalysis (SEM-EDX) and Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) techniques. XRD results showed that N/TiO2 nanoparticles own anatase phase with some rutile phase. SEM images confirmed the successful doping of N into TiO2 structure. The result of photocatalytic degradation of methyl orange (MO) demonstrated that appropriate N doping can greatly enhance the photocatalytic activity of TiO2, which was attributed to the 'red-shift'inultraviolet–visible light (UV–Vis) absorption spectra of TiO2 nanoparticles while doped with N. The optimal N concentration to obtain the highest photocatalytic activity was 1:2 mole ratio.