This study employs a rapid, energy frugal and environmental friendly method to synthesize nitrogen doped titanate nanotubes (NTNTs), and uses TEM. XRD, Raman, nitrogen adsorption-desorption isotherms analysis, and UV-vis spectroscopy to characterize the obtained NTNTs. TEM results demonstrate that the current research successfully synthesized one-dimensional NTNTs via the microwave hydrothermal (M-H) method, and show that NTNTs retain a tubular structure after sintering at a temperature of 350 C. XRD results agree well with Raman spectrum findings. Both show that the intensity of anatase crystallization increases with an increase in sintering temperature. After sintering at high temperature, above 250 degrees C, the UV-vis absorbance edges of NTNTs significantly shift to the visible-light region, which illustrates N atom doping into nanotubes. Photocatalytic tests conclude that the NTNTs-350 shows good efficiency with visible-light response. (c) 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.