Photocatalytic Applications of Nitrogen-Doped Titanium Dioxide

Nitrogen-doped titanium dioxide (TiO₂) has emerged as a leading photocatalyst capable of harvesting visible light to drive chemical reactions. By introducing nitrogen atoms into the TiO₂ lattice, the bandgap narrows through the formation of mid-gap states, enhancing absorption across the visible spectrum. Diverse synthesis strategies, including atomic layer deposition, solvothermal routes and ionothermal methods, yield materials with controlled dopant distribution and defect structures. Applications span environmental remediation, such as degradation of organic pollutants and removal of nitrogen oxides; solar fuel generation via water splitting and CO₂ reduction; and self-cleaning, antibacterial and antifouling surfaces. Continued efforts focus on improving charge separation, stability under irradiation and scalable fabrication, thereby advancing TiO₂ photocatalysts towards industrial and environmental impact on a global scale.

Research from Nature Portfolio

Recent studies have demonstrated that an ultrathin amorphous TiOxNy layer deposited by plasma-enhanced atomic layer deposition on commercial anatase TiO₂ powders profoundly enhances visible-light photocatalytic performance. The surface-modified powders exhibit near-complete degradation of organic dyes under visible illumination within hours, while retaining structural integrity upon repeated cycling.

Complementing experimental advances, first-principles calculations combined with ab initio thermodynamics have elucidated the thermodynamic stability of non-metal dopants in TiO₂ under realistic temperature and oxygen partial pressures. These results identify substitutional nitrogen as the dominant defect in n-type conditions, highlighting the role of charged defects in tuning visible-light absorption and guiding the design of robust doping strategies.

Photocatalytic Applications of Nitrogen-Doped Titanium Dioxide publication trend

The graph below shows the total number of articles in photocatalytic applications of nitrogen-doped titanium dioxide across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).

Technical terms

Photocatalysis: A process in which a catalyst activated by light accelerates chemical reactions via generation of reactive species.

Bandgap: The energy difference between the valence band and conduction band of a semiconductor that determines its light absorption threshold.

Visible-light activity: The capability of a photocatalyst to absorb and utilise photons in the 400–700 nm wavelength range.

Substitutional doping: The incorporation of impurity atoms into a host lattice by replacing native atoms, altering electronic structure.

p–d coupling: Interaction between the p orbitals of non-metal dopants and d orbitals of transition metals that influences band structure and defect states.

References

1. p–d coupling: prerequisite for band-like doping levels in metal oxides. Journal of Materials Chemistry A (2024).
2. C-N co-doped titanium dioxide. Key aspects in the assessment of the air pollutants abatement capability. Journal of Environmental Chemical Engineering (2023).
3. TiOxNy Modified TiO2 Powders Prepared by Plasma Enhanced Atomic Layer Deposition for Highly Visible Light Photocatalysis. Scientific Reports (2018).
4. Stability of non-metal dopants to tune the photo-absorption of TiO2 at realistic temperatures and oxygen partial pressures: A hybrid DFT study. Scientific Reports (2019).
5. Photocatalytic Activity and RNO Dye Degradation of Nitrogen-doped TiO2 Prepared by Ionothermal Synthesis. Materials Research (2017).
6. Preparation of N-TiO2/SiO2 composites by solvothermal method and their photocatalytic properties. Materials Research Express (2022).