Sol–gel reverse micelle preparation and characterization of N-doped TiO2: Efficient photocatalytic degradation of methylene blue in water under visible light

A series of N-substituted titanium (IV) 2-ethyl-1,3-hexanediolate Ti(C32H68O8) precursor were synthesized by the sol–gel reverse micelle (SGRM) method. The ethylene diaminetetraacetic acid (Na2EDTA) has been used as a source of nitrogen n species. The obtained solids were calcined at 500 ̊C for 1 h to obtain photoactive phases. The effect of nitrogen content (N/Ti = 0.025; 0.03; 0.05 atomic ratios) is examined. The materials were characterized by XRD, BET, TG/DTA and UV–vis reflectance spectroscopy (DRS). Photocatalytic decolourisation of methylen blue (MB) in aqueous solution was carried out using nano, doped TiO2. Experimental results revealed that N/Ti = 0.05 atomic ratio N-doped TiO2 required shorter irradiation time for complete decolourisation of MB than pure nano TiO2 and commercial (Degussa P-25) TiO2.