Milling effect on the photo-activated properties of $$hbox {TiO}_{2}$$ nanoparticles: electronic and structural investigations

Commercial PC105 titanium dioxide nanoparticles were studied under mechanical milling process. The effect of milling time and speed on the structural and electronic properties of (hbox {TiO}_{2}) powder was then investigated using X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), dynamic light scattering (DLS), transmission electronic microscopy (TEM), electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) and UV–visible spectroscopy. The related photo-catalytic properties of the milled nanoparticles were probed following the degradation rate of methylene orange (MO) under UV-light irradiation and through EPR spin-scavenging approach. Comparison with pristine powder shows that milled nanoparticles are significantly less reactive upon illumination, despite decreased radius and hence, higher specific area. Such low yield of reactive species is attributed to the apparition of the amorphous (hbox {TiO}_{2}) and brookite phase upon milling, as well as increased charge carrier recombination as pointed out by the presence of sacrificial electron donor.