Enhanced photocatalytic activity and stability of nano-scaled TiO2 co-doped with N and Fe

► N, Fe co-doped TiO2 was prepared via modified sol-gel process. ► The Ti-O-Si bond formed between TiO2 and MCM-41 fixed the TiO2 on the MCM-41 surface. ► Excessive nitridation treatment caused the decreased doping N content and photocatalytic activity. ► N, Fe co-doped TiO2 showed much higher activity than doped samples with nitrogen or Fe3+ alone.