When titanium oxide is doped with nitrogen, the resulting titanium oxide
photocatalyst can be driven with visible light, which is a main component
of sunlight. However, in a known process, since a high-temperature heat
treatment process necessary for nitrogen doping degrades the
photocatalytic activity inherent in titanium oxide, it is difficult to
produce a titanium oxide photocatalyst that can be driven with a high
efficiency under sunlight.A titania/organic substance composite, which
includes an organic ligand coordinated to flaky titania and forms a
layered structure, is immersed in aqueous ammonia to substitute the
organic ligand between layers with a hydroxyl group by a ligand exchange
reaction, and at the same time, to introduce ammonium into between layers
of the titania having the layered structure. The resulting composite of
titania and ammonium is heated at a temperature of 400.degree. C. or
higher and in such a temperature range that does not cause rutile
transition, whereby nitrogen is doped into the titania by thermal
decomposition of the ammonium and, in addition, titania is crystallized
to an anatase form.