N, Fe single-doped and N-Fe co-doped TiO2 increasing photoactivity under visible light

Nowadays, environmental pollution is a major concern in our society and numerous researches are realized to treat water, air and soil pollution. Among the different methods developed to reduce pollution, photocatalysis is a way to degrade organic pollutants. The most widely used photocatalyst is TiO2. For several years, the sol-gel synthesis has proven effective for the synthesis of TiO2 in the form of powders or films. Aqueous and non-aqueous methods can be used to produce TiO2 by sol-gel process. Regarding the cost and the environmental impact, the aqueous way seems to be the best way to produce large amount of TiO2 materials. The aim of the present work is to develop new formulation of doped and co-doped TiO2 to extend the activity towards visible region with optimal production costs and to improve the dopant content in order to maximize the photocatalytic activity. This study presents results with catalysts powders, but the final aim is to produce doped TiO2 films as previously successfully developed.