A rapid method for the synthesis of nitrogen doped TiO2 nanoparticles for photocatalytic hydrogen generation

A facile, fast, and economic method of doping TiO2, synthesized by conventional precipitation route with N has been developed. By this method, stable N doped TiO2 can be prepared within a short duration of time. The method adopted was to treat the TiO2 powder synthesized by simple precipitation with trioctyl amine (TOA) at 320 degrees C for 2 hours followed by calcination at 400 degrees C for 2 hours to obtain the N-doped TiO2. The sample along with NiO as co-catalyst showed significant photocatalytic activity for hydrogen generation from aqueous methanol solution under sunlight type irradiation. This synthesis method opens up a fast and easy route for doping the existing TiO2 or other wide band gap oxide semiconductors with nitrogen so that they can exhibit enhanced photocatalytic activity under solar irradiation.