Highly Efficient Formation of Visible Light Tunable TiO 2 - x N x Photocatalysts and Their Transformation at the Nanoscale

Using a simple nanoscale exclusive synthesis route, TiO2-xNx photocatalysts that can be tuned to absorb across the visible region are produced in seconds at room temperature. The photocatalysts are formed by employing the direct nitridation of anatase TiO2 nanostructures with alkylammonium salts. Depending on the degree of TiO2 nanoparticle agglomeration, catalytically active TiO2-xNx anatase structured particles are obtained whose absorption onset extends well into the visible region at λ ∼ 550 nm. The introduction of a small quantity of palladium in the form of the chloride or nitrate facilitates further nitrogen uptake, appears to lead to a partial phase transformation, displays a counterion effect when…