Facile synthesis of C, N-TiO2 nanorods via layered -TMAH interlaminar bonding interaction and their enhanced catalytic performance

Abstract

A green and efficient photocatalyst based on C and N co-doped titanium based nanorods (NRs) was prepared by facile hydrothermal synthesis and interlaminar bonding interaction between layered ${{\rm{Ti}}}_{3}{{{\rm{O}}}_{7}}^{2-}$ and tetramethylammonium hydroxide (TMAH). TMAH as one of quaternary ammonium-based compounds was used as the doping source of C and N elements. The results showed that C and N co-doping did not affect the anatase crystal structure of TiO _2 NRs. C, N-TiO _2 NRs showed excellent photocatalytic activity for degrading methyl orange under simulated sunlight irradiation. In particular, the 20:1 TiO _2 NRs catalyst showed the best catalytic performance, showing efficient photocatalytic rate of 90%. The photocatalytic reaction kinetics of undoped and doped catalysts was also studied. In addition, reactive species (RSs) experiments showed that hydroxyl radical ( ^· OH), superoxide radical anions ( ^· O _2 −) and photogenerated holes (h ^+ ) were major active species during the photocatalytic process. The mechanisms of the electrostatic attraction and potential photocatalytic degradation were proposed and discussed.

Keywords

• photocatalysis
• TMAH
• interlaminar bonding interaction
• C, N-TiO2 NRs