Study on anti-fungal activity of nitrogen-doped TiO2 nanophotocatalyst under visible light irradiation

Nitrogen-doped TiO2 nanophotocatalysts were prepared, and characterized by XRD patterns and UV-vis spectroscopy. The results indicated that nitrogen was doped effectively and the shift of the absorption edge to a lower energy and a stronger absorption in the visible light region were observed. The calcinations temperature is a key factor to narrow the band gap of titania, and consequently affects the response to visible light of nitrogen-doped TiO2 nanocrystals. This photocatalyst can effectively inhibit the growth of Helminthosporium maydis, whereas undoped TiO2 nanocrystals cannot inhibit the growth of H. maydis under the same experimental conditions. (C) 2009 Heng Zhen Shi. Published by Elsevier B.V. on behalf of Chinese Chemical Society. All fights reserved.