Synthesis of N doped and N, S co-doped 3D TiO2 hollow spheres with enhanced photocatalytic efficiency under nature sunlight

N doped and N, S co-doped TiO2 hollow spheres photocatalysts have been successfully synthesized by a simple hydrothermal method with water as the only solvent. The XRD results show that the all samples are crystalline without further sintering treatment. The measured photocatalytdc activity under simulated solar light, monitored by the decomposition of Rhodamine-B, demonstrated that N or N, S loading could significantly enhance the photocatalytic activity of TiO2. UV-vis diffuse reflectance spectra indicate that N-doping or N, S-codoping into a TiO2 crystal lattice can result in the shift of the valence band of TiO2 to a positive direction. It may lead to its higher oxidative ability than pure TiO2, which is important for organic pollutant degradation under visible-light irradiation. This work provides some insights into the rational design and development of high-performance photocatalysts using sunlight as an energy source. (C) 2015 Elsevier Ltd and Techna Group S.r.l. All rights reserved.