Preparation and photocatalytic activity of B–N co-doped mesoporous TiO2

•The B–N co-doped mesoporous TiO2 catalyst was synthesized by a fast sol–gel method.•The pore size and specific surface area of the catalyst are 16.8 nm and 125.4 m2/g.•The absorption band edge of B–N co-doped sample exhibits an evident red-shift.•The B–N co-doped TiO2 exhibits superior photocatalytic activity to other samples.•The synergistic effect of B and N was due to the Ti–N–B–O structure on the surface.

B-doped and B–N co-doped mesoporous TiO2 photocatalysts were synthesized by a fast sol–gel method. The prepared samples were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), UV–vis diffuse reflectance spectrum (DRS), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), N2 adsorption–desorption, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). It is found that the average crystallite size, pore size, and specific surface area of the co-doped TiO2 are 9.1 nm, 16.8 nm, and 125.4 m2/g, respectively. Compared with that of the pure mesoporous TiO2, the absorption band edge of B–N co-doped sample exhibits an evident red-shift and the absorption intensity of visible region increases obviously. The experimental results show that a structure of Ti–N–B–O is formed on the surface of the photocatalyst, indicating a synergistic effect of two dopants enhancing the photocatalytic activity, which was evaluated by the degradation of methyl blue aqueous solution under UV and visible light irradiation.

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