Synthesis and Characterization of Highly Efficient Visible-Light Induced C, N and S Co-doped TiO2 Photocatalyst

The C, N and S co-doped TiO2 (C-N-S-TiO2) photocatalyst was prepared by sol-gel method using titanium n-butoxide [Ti(OC4H9)4] and acetic acid (HAc) as raw materials and modifier, thiourea (H2N(CS)NH2) as solid substrates and doping source. The X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscope, N2 adsorption-desorption measurements, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and UV-visible diffuse reflectance spectroscopy were used to characterize as-prepared samples. The results indicated that the thermal dissociation process of H2N(CS)NH2 could introduce doping elements to adjust the band structure and promote the crystal transformation. The C-N-S-TiO2 photocatalyst showed highly photocatalytic activity under visible light irradiation, and the surface reaction rate constant was approximately 4 times higher than pure TiO2 sample.