Nitrogen-doped SiO2/TiO2 core/shell nanoparticles as highly efficient visible light photocatalyst

Nitrogen-doped SiO2/TiO2 core/shell nanoparticles with uniform diameter were fabricated using SiO2 template sol–gel method. Furthermore, the relationship between the temperate of calcination and photocatalytic efficiency was also investigated in the viewpoint of organic pollutant decomposition. The morphology and characteristics of nitrogen-doped SiO2/TiO2 core/shell nanoparticles were studied by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), UV–vis diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (DRS), X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), and specific surface area. The results demonstrated that nitrogen-doped TiO2 layer was successfully coated onto the SiO2 nanoparticles without aggregation. Nitrogen-doped SiO2/TiO2 core/shell nanoparticles exhibited highly efficient photocatalytic activity under visible light irradiation due to high nitrogen doping level and surface area.