US Patent 7153808 Ultraviolet and visible-light-sensitive titania-based photocatalyst

The present invention provides photocatalysts showing excellent sensitivity not only in ultraviolet light region but also in visible light region. The ultraviolet and visible light-sensitive titania-based photocatalysts according to the present invention are characterized by their composition as expressed by a general formula: TiSixNyO2+2x−y (where 0.01<x<1 and 0.003<y<0.3). The invented photocatalysts have optical properties that the relative absorbance at 450 nm to that of 300 nm is not lower than 0.1 and the relative absorbance at 600 nm to that of 300 nm is not higher than 0.1.