Preparation and photocatalytic activity of nitrogen-doped TiO2 hollow nanospheres

TiO2 hollow nanospheres were prepared using silicon oxide as a template. N-doped titanium oxide hollow spheres, TiO2−xNx were synthesized by reacting TiO2 hollow spheres with thiourea at 500 °C. XRD and XPS data showed that oxygen was successfully substituted by nitrogen through the nitrogen-doping reaction, and finally N-doped TiO2 hollow spheres were formed. The N-doped TiO2 hollow spheres showed new absorption shoulder in visible light region so that they were expected to exhibit photocatalytic activity in the visible light. The photocatalytic activity of N-doped TiO2 hollow spheres under visible light was similar to that of normal spherical TiO2−xNx in spite of the structural difference.

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► Nitrogen-doped TiO2 was synthesized in hollow type by using co-precipitation method.
► Nitrogen-doped TiO2 samples exhibited photocatalytic activity in the visible light region.
► The highest photocatalytic activity was found in the N-doped TiO2 hollow spheres.