Influence of TiO₂ Nanoparticles Synthesizing Techniques on Photocatalytic Degradation of Methylene Blue Dye”

Model photocatalysts composed of titanium dioxide (TiO₂) nanoparticles were prepared to assess the impact of different synthesis techniques on their photocatalytic activity towards methylene blue. TiO₂ nanoparticles were synthesized using three distinct methods: high-energy ball-milling (HEBM), sonication, and pulse laser ablation. The engineered photocatalysts exhibited varying morphology, crystallinity, and optical properties, as evidenced by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD). The synthesis techniques notably resulted in different particle sizes, with mean sizes of 121.2 nm, 25.53 nm, and 22.38 nm, and corresponding crystallite sizes of 24.86 nm, 33.5 nm, and 34.4 nm for HEBM, sonication, and pulse laser ablation, respectively. All of the synthesized TiO₂ nanoparticles displayed significantly enhanced photocatalytic activity under low-intensity UV light in comparison to the TiO₂ raw material. However, the choice of synthesis method had a substantial impact on photocatalytic performance. Specifically, TiO₂ prepared via ultrasonication and continuous ball milling exhibited the highest photocatalytic activity among the methods. The most rapid degradation rate (K = 0.0049 min^(-1)) was observed for TiO₂ produced through continuous ball milling and ultrasonication. These findings indicate that the synthesized TiO₂ nanoparticles hold potential for use as catalysts for degrading various types of organic pollutants.