TiO2-based photocatalysts prepared by oxidation of TiN nanoparticles and their photocatalytic activities under visible light illumination

To develop TiO2-based photocatalysts with visible light activity for better solar energy utilization, a simple flash oxidation method was developed by calcining commercial TiN nanoparticle to prepare N-doped TiO2 photocatalyst and TiN/TiO2 composite photocatalysts through the modulation of the calcination time and temperature. It was found that more energy and processing time were needed to prepare N-doped TiO2 photocatalyst than that of TiN/TiO2 composite photocatalyst during this process, while TiN/TiO2 composite photocatalyst had a better visible light absorption/photocatalytic performance than that of N-doped TiO2 photocatalyst prepared from the oxidation of the same TiN precursor. Thus, the preparation of TiN/TiO2 composite photocatalyst from TiN precursor should be a more preferred approach than the preparation of N-doped TiO2 photocatalyst for visible-light-activated photocatalysis for its cost-effectiveness.