| Summary: | In this study, we investigated the preparation conditions of polystyrene (PS)@TiO<sub>2</sub> core–shell particles and their photocatalytic activity during the decomposition of methylene blue (MB). TiO<sub>2</sub> shells were formed on the surfaces of PS particles using the sol–gel method. Homogeneous PS@TiO<sub>2</sub> core–shell particles were obtained using an aqueous NH<sub>3</sub> solution as the promoter of the sol–gel reaction and stirred at room temperature. This investigation revealed that the temperature and amount of the sol–gel reaction promoter influenced the morphology of the PS@TiO<sub>2</sub> core–shell particles. The TiO<sub>2</sub> shell thickness of the PS@TiO<sub>2</sub> core–shell particles was approximately 5 nm, as observed using transmission electron microscopy. Additionally, Ti elements were detected on the surfaces of the PS@TiO<sub>2</sub> core–shell particles using energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy analysis. The PS@TiO<sub>2</sub> core–shell particles were used in MB decomposition to evaluate their photocatalytic activities. For comparison, we utilized commercial P25 and TiO<sub>2</sub> particles prepared using the sol–gel method. The results showed that the PS@TiO<sub>2</sub> core–shell particles exhibited higher activity than that of the compared samples.
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