Enhanced Visible‐Light Photocatalytic Degradation of Humic Acid by Palladium‐Modified Nitrogen‐Doped Titanium Oxide

Palladium‐modified nitrogen‐doped titanium oxide (TiON/PdO) nanoparticles were synthesized by a sol–gel process, for visible‐light‐induced photocatalysis using humic acid (HA) as a target. Our work shows that palladium modification has strong effects on the optical and photocatalytic properties of nitrogen‐doped titanium oxide (TiON) photocatalysts. TiON/PdO nanoparticles demonstrated an enhanced photocatalytic activity over TiON within a narrow range of palladium concentration. Beyond this range, the adverse effect of palladium modification was observed in the visible‐light‐induced degradation of HA. The effects of palladium modification are discussed in terms of its role in controlling electron–hole recombination.