SYNTHESIS, CHARACTERISATION AND PHOTOCATALYTIC ACTIVITY OF TITANIUM OXIDE MODIFIED WITH NITROGEN

Titanium oxides were synthesised by precipitation of titanium tetrachloride (TiCl4) using ammonium hydroxide (NH4OH). The synthesised materials were characterised by nitrogen physisorption, XRD, IR spectroscopy and UV-vis diffuse reflectance spectroscopy, and the photocatalytic activity of the samples was measured by the degradation of methyl orange. Using this synthesis method, the titanium oxide structure was doped with nitrogen (N-TiO2), stabilising the anatase phase and obtaining mesoporous and nanocrystalline materials. The titanium oxide with higher specific surface area (132 m2/g) degraded the azo-compound to 100% in 180 min of reaction.