Nitrogen-doped anatase titania nanorods with reactive {101} + {010} facets exposure produced from ultrathin titania nanosheets for high photocatalytic performance

To obtain high performance catalysts for the photooxidation of organic pollutants in water, nitrogen-doped TiO₂ nanorods with {101} + {010} facets exposure were successfully synthesized by using ultrathin two-dimensional titania nanosheets as precursor. The nitrogen-doped one-dimensional nanorods had a uniform size within 100 nm. The crystal structure of nitrogen-doped TiO₂ nanorods (anatase) didn't alter even though subjected from morphology transformation, however, their crystallinity improved tremendously, and the exposure and proportion of active facets changed, which synergistically boosted the catalytic efficiency. This integrated technology including modification, morphology and phase control might be indicative for fabrication of advanced photocatalysts to remedy environmental pollutant and produce clean energy in the future.