One-pot pyrolytic synthesis of C–N-codoped mesoporous anatase TiO2 and its highly efficient photo-degradation properties

Abstract

Polycrystalline mesoporous C–N-codoped anatase TiO₂ has been successfully fabricated using a simple but efficient controlled thermal decomposition approach and their photo-degradation properties were evaluated. In such a synthesis, ammonium titanyl oxalate was first prepared and used as precursor. The C–N-codoped anatase TiO₂ was then directly generated via the pyrolysis of the ammonium titanyl oxalate precursor and the resultant nano-sized crystallites connected together to form a mesoporous structure. The as-prepared material by calcination at 300 °C at a heating rate of 0.5 °C min⁻¹ possessed a high surface area and showed extraordinarily high photocatalytic degradation properties under visible irradiation.