Abstract: A facile preparation of nitrogen-doped β-TiO₂(N-doped β-TiO₂) nanobelts and their visible-light photocatalytic activity were reported. The preparation of N-doped β-TiO₂ nanobelts consisted of cation-exchange between layered sodium titanate nanobelts and NH₄⁺ in aqueous solution at room temperature and subsequent calcination in air. Such a calcination treatment is beneficial to the formation of monoclinic N-doped β-TiO₂ nanobelts. Various measurement results indicate that not only were the nitrogen atoms doped into the lattice of β-TiO₂ nanobelts resulting in a strong visible-light absorption, but also a large number of defects were caused by them in the lattice, increasing the stability of β-TiO₂. The photocatalysis enhancement of N-doped β-TiO₂ nanobelts for the photodegradation of Rhodamine B was demonstrated.

Key words: N-Doping, Titanium dioxide nanobelt, β-Titanium dioxide, Titanium dioxide(B), Photocatalysis