LAUSR

Abstract We designed a high-yield and low temperature N-doping strategy in modifying TiO2 band structure. A nanostructured porous TiO2 was obtained through dealloying of Cu80Ti20 precursor through leaching by HNO3. It was confirmed that nitrogen was interstitially doped into TiO2 during dealloying. The doped nitrogen greatly narrows the band gap, resulting in a wider photoresponse region. The microporous structure with large specific surface area (167.04 m2 g−1) and narrowed band gap (2.61 eV) together contribute to the excellent photocatalytic activity towards degradation of methyl orange under visible light irradiation. Our work offers a novel strategy for synthesizing highly active N-doped TiO2.