Simultaneous removal of nitrite and ammonia as dinitrogen in aqueous suspensions of a titanium(IV) oxide photocatalyst under reagent-free and metal-free conditions at room temperature

Photocatalytic reduction of nitrite (NO2-) in an aqueous suspension of metal-free titanium(IV) oxide in the presence of ammonia (NH3) as a hole scavenger gave dinitrogen (N-2), indicating that NO2- and NH3 are simultaneously removed from water as N-2 at room temperature without the use of an extra reagent.