The nanopaticles of TiO2 doped with nitrogen and cadmium are synthesized by sol–gel method followed by 2 h calcination at 400 °C in air atmosphere. Its chemical composition and optical absorption are investigated by XRD, UV–vis absorption spectra, TEM, XPS and Raman spectra. The results show that nitrogen and cadmium co-doping cause the absorption edge of TiO2 to shift to the visible-light region. The Cd2+ doping hinders the recombination rate of excited electrons/holes and prevents the aggregation of powder during the calcination. Superior catalytic activity of the co-doped TiO2 was observed for the decomposition of rhodamine B under visible light irradiation. The interstitial nitrogen atoms in co-doped TiO2 nanoparticles powder are responsible for the visible light photocatalytic activity.
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