Comparison of the Photocatalytic Efficience for Cu and N Co-Doped TiO₂ by Sol-Gel and Xerogel-Hydrothermal Methods

Abstract

In this study, mesoporous Cu and N doped TiO₂ crystals were synthesized with Cu and N doped titania by xerogel-hydrothermal treatment and sol-gel treatment. The characteristics of Cu and N doped TiO₂ were investigated with XRD, UV-vis, XPS and N₂ sorption analysis. The photocatalytic activity of samples was evaluated by the photocatalytic oxidation of acetone under ultraviolet light. The photocatalytic activity of the xerogel-hydrothermal modified Cu and N doped TiO₂ was considerably higher than that of the sol-gel modified Cu and N doped TiO₂. This enhanced photoactivity is related to the smaller particle sizes, bicrystalline, the smaller pores and the larger specific area.

Fig. 2 TEM images of the as-prepared Cu_0.6N₄/TiO₂ by different methods: (a) Cu_0.6N₄Ti-sol-gel (b) Cu_0.6N₄Ti-xerogel-hydrothermal.