130-fold enhancement of TiO2 photocatalytic activities by ball milling

Abstract

Submicrometer TiO2 particles were prepared by changing the mechanochemical parameters in planetary ball milling. The TiO2 particles before and after milling were characterized by five experimental methods. The photocatalytic activities of the TiO2 particles were evaluated by the photoreduction of an aqueous solution of methylene blue. The activity of milled TiO2 was 136 times that of TiO2 (anatase) before milling and 62 times that of commercial available TiO2 photocatalyst (P25). In addition to the reduction in particle size and increase in specific surface area due to milling, the disorder TiO2, involving amorphous and srilankite phases, significantly increased the catalytic performance.