Synthesis and characterization of Cu/N-doped mesoporous TiO2 visible light photocatalysts

Visible-light-responsive Cu/N-doped mesoporous TiO2 photocatalysts were synthesized by a template-free homogenous coprecipitation method that was followed by an impregnation method. The photocatalysts were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis, field-emission scanning electron microscope (FE-SEM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), the Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET) and Barrett–Joyner–Halenda (BJH) methods, and ultraviolet–visible spectrophotometry. The Cu/N-doped TiO2 photocatalysts had a well-defined mesoporous structure and large specific area and were responsive to visible light. On increasing the amount of Cu loaded, absorption in the visible-light range increased significantly, while the specific surface area and pore volume decreased. The photocatalytic activities were evaluated via the photodegradation of gaseous xylene under UV- and visible-light irradiation. The photocatalytic activity of Cu/N-doped mesoporous TiO2 was considerably greater than that of both the sample undoped with Cu as well as that of commercially available TiO2 (Degussa P25), which has low Cu content. Doping with nitrogen and Cu resulted in highly effective mesoporous TiO2 photocatalysts that were responsive to visible light.

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► Visible-light responsive Cu/N-doped mesoporous TiO2 photocatalysts were synthesized.
► Cu/N-doped TiO2 photocatalysts had a mesoporous structure and large specific area.
► Cu/N-doped mesoporous TiO2 photocatalysts were responsive to visible light.
► Photocatalytic activity of Cu/N-doped mesoporous TiO2 was greater than P25.