Preparation and photocatalytic activity of B-N co-doped mesoporous TiO2

B-doped and B-N co-doped mesoporous TiO2 photocatalysts were synthesized by a fast sal-gel method. The prepared samples were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), UV-vis diffuse reflectance spectrum (DRS), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), N-2 adsorption-desorption, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). It is found that the average crystallite size, pore size, and specific surface area of the co-doped TiO2 are 9.1 nm, 16.8 nm, and 125.4 m(2)/g, respectively. Compared with that of the pure mesoporous TiO2, the absorption band edge of B-N co-doped sample exhibits an evident red-shift and the absorption intensity of visible region increases obviously. The experimental results show that a structure of Ti-N-B-O is formed on the surface of the photocatalyst, indicating a synergistic effect of two dopants enhancing the photocatalytic activity, which was evaluated by the degradation of methyl blue aqueous solution under UV and visible light irradiation. (C) 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.