Nitrogen-doped anatase titania nanorods with reactive {101} + {010} facets exposure produced from ultrathin titania nanosheets for high photocatalytic performance

• N-doped anatase TiO2 nanorod with active {101} + {010} facets was produced.
• 1D NATNR came from 2D TiO2 nanosheet, achieving morphology transformation.
• NATNR performed much better than original TNS due to synergistic factors.
• Morphology, doping and phase control together worked for high performance.

To obtain high performance catalysts for the photooxidation of organic pollutants in water, nitrogen-doped TiO2 nanorods with {101} + {010} facets exposure were successfully synthesized by using ultrathin two-dimensional titania nanosheets as precursor. The nitrogen-doped one-dimensional nanorods had a uniform size within 100 nm. The crystal structure of nitrogen-doped TiO2 nanorods (anatase) didn't alter even though subjected from morphology transformation, however, their crystallinity improved tremendously, and the exposure and proportion of active facets changed, which synergistically boosted the catalytic efficiency. This integrated technology including modification, morphology and phase control might be indicative for fabrication of advanced photocatalysts to remedy environmental pollutant and produce clean energy in the future.

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