Microwave-assisted hydrothermal synthesis of N-doped titanate nanotubes for visible-light-responsive photocatalysis

This study employs a rapid, energy frugal and environmental friendly method to synthesize nitrogen doped titanate nanotubes (NTNTs), and uses TEM, XRD, Raman, nitrogen adsorption-desorption isotherms analysis, and UV-vis spectroscopy to characterize the obtained NTNTs. TEM results demonstrate that the current research successfully synthesized one-dimensional NTNTs via the microwave hydrothermal (M-H) method, and show that NTNTs retain a tubular structure after sintering at a temperature of 350 °C. XRD results agree well with Raman spectrum findings. Both show that the intensity of anatase crystallization increases with an increase in sintering temperature. After sintering at high temperature, above 250 °C, the UV-vis absorbance edges of NTNTs significantly shift to the visible-light region, which illustrates N atom doping into nanotubes. Photocatalytic tests conclude that the NTNTs-350 shows good efficiency with visible-light response.