Preparation of Nb2O5 and N co-doped TiO2 photocatalysts and their enhanced photocatalytic activities under visible light

Niobium pentaoxide (Nb2O5) and nitrogen co-doped TiO2 photocatalysts were prepared by mechanical alloying with Nb2O5, TiO2 and urea as raw materials. The pure TiO2 powders of Degussa P25 were chosen as precursor. Chemical and physical properties of the Nb2O5 and N co-doped TiO2 photocatalysts were investigated, including XRD patterns, XPS spectra, DRS spectra, FT-IR spectra and N-2 adsorption-desorption isotherms. Experiments on photodegradation of methylene blue (MB) and sulfosalicylic acid (SSA) under visible light were carried out to evaluate the photoactivities of the prepared samples, and the chemical oxygen demand (COD) analysis was also conducted as a comparison.