Mesoporous nitrogen-modified titania with enhanced dye adsorption capacity and visible light photocatalytic activity

Mesoporous nitrogen-modified anatase titania (N-TiO2), showing high dye adsorption capacity and photocatalytic activity for photodegradation of methylene blue under visible light, was prepared by a template-free, sol-gel synthesis route in the presence of diethanolamine followed by a single step low temperature calcination treatment. The effect of calcination conditions and the role of the titania precursor type were investigated, highlighting their profound influence upon the adsorption and visible light activity. The crystallization of titania in the presence of N was also studied using in situ synchrotron X-ray powder diffraction. The N-TiO2 prepared from titanium (IV) butoxide and diethanolamine calcined at 350 degrees C for 10 h exhibited a high methylene blue adsorption capacity and high photocatalytic activity under visible light. The prominent photocatalytic performance was attributed to the synergetic effect from the abundant N content, high specific surface area and enhanced surface acidity. These results suggest that this material has potential as an adsorbent-photocatalyst hybrid.