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Effect of Precursor Ratio on Synthesis and Optical Absorption of TiON Photocatalytic Nanoparticles
Author(s) -
Li Qi,
Xie Rongcai,
Shang Jian Ku,
Mintz Eric A.
Publication year - 2007
Publication title -
journal of the american ceramic society
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.9
H-Index - 196
eISSN - 1551-2916
pISSN - 0002-7820
DOI - 10.1111/j.1551-2916.2007.01600.x
Subject(s) - calcination , photocatalysis , ammonium hydroxide , materials science , nanoparticle , chemical engineering , crystallization , sol gel , absorbance , titanium , inorganic chemistry , catalysis , chemistry , nanotechnology , organic chemistry , chromatography , engineering , metallurgy
A simple sol–gel process was developed to synthesize a nitrogen‐doped titanium oxide (TiON) nanoparticle photocatalyst. Our work shows that the precursor ratio (tetramethyl ammonium hydroxide (TMA)/titanium tetraisopropoxide (TTIP)) has significant effects on the structure, composition, and optical properties of TiON nanoparticles. At high initial TMA/TTIP ratios, crystallization of the sol–gel TiON nanoparticle powders was sluggish, requiring a higher calcination temperature. As a high calcination temperature caused greater nitrogen loss, a high initial TMA/TTIP ratio in the TiON precursor did not ensure a high N/Ti atomic ratio in the TiON powders. By optimizing the initial TMA/TTIP ratio and the calcination temperature, crystalline powders were obtained with high nitrogen concentrations. These sol–gel TiON nanoparticles showed strong visible light absorbance.