TiO2/TiO2-x N y nanocomposite and its acetaldehyde photodecomposition ability

Nitrogen-doped titania was coupled with the commercial titania nanoparticles by mechanical milling in liquid medium. The as-prepared nanocomposites (TiO2/TiO2-x N (y) ) were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) specific surface area, UV-Vis spectroscopy, chemiluminescence, and acetaldehyde decomposition activity techniques. When a small amount of nitrogen-doped titania was added into the commercial titania, higher intensity and longer lifetime of O-1(2) was observed, and the photocatalytic activity was efficiently improved. The TiO2-x N (y) acts as the acceptor of photoinduced holes. The recombination of the electron-hole was effectively depressed by the heterogeneous electron transfer. This could be an effective way to obtain highly active photocatalysts.