Visible-light photoactivity of hierarchical porous carbon supported N-doped TiO2

Hierarchical porous carbon fabricated from biomass provides an effective support for catalysts. Nitrogen doped TiO2 particles (50 nm in size) synthesized from titanium tetraethoxide were loaded uniformly on the porous carbons carbonized from Zizania latifolia leaves by a sol–gel method. X-Ray diffraction and Auger Electronic Spectrometer analysis indicated that nitrogen atoms were doped into anatase TiO2 lattices. The bandgap of the nitrogen doped TiO2 derived from the light absorption spectrum was about 3.05 eV. The nitrogen doped TiO2 on the hierarchical porous carbon hybrid photocatalysts showed a high degradation rate of 2-propanol in water with visible light irradiation.