Photocatalytic Degradation of Methyl Orange over Nitrogen-Fluorine Codoped TiO2 Nanobelts Prepared by Solvothermal Synthesis

Anatase type nitrogen-fluorine (N-F) codoped TiO2 nanobelts were prepared by a solvothermal method in which amorphous titania microspheres were used as the precursors. The as-prepared TiO2 nanobelts are composed of thin narrow nanobelts and it is noted that there are large amount of wormhole-like mesopores on these narrow nanobelts. Photocatalytic activity of the N-F codoped TiO2 nanobelts was measured by the reaction of photocatalytic degradation of methyl orange. Results indicate that the photocatalytic activity of the N-F codoped TiO2 nanobelts is higher than that of P25, which is mainly ascribed to wormhole-like mesopores like prison, larger surface area, and enhanced absorption of light due to N-F codoping. Interestingly, it is also found that the photocatalytic activity can be further enhanced when tested in a new testing method because more photons can be captured by the nanobelts to stimulate the formation of the hole-electron pair.