The radical sites generated by the visible light irradiation of nitrogen-doped TiO 2 particles prepared by a mechanochemical method have been studied using cw-EPR spectroscopy. The powders prepared by planetary milling of the anatase TiO 2 with urea clearly show an absorption in the visible region, indicating doping of nitrogen. Visible light irradiation with wavelengths longer than 420 nm induces a nitrogen-centred radical site. The radical site is assigned to the interstitial NO 2À 2 radical. In the presence of air, a reversible response of the growth and decay of paramagnetic sites was observed during and after photolysis. In contrast, in degassed samples, the decay of the NO 2À 2 signals is accompanied by the concomitant growth of the neutral NO radical site after irradiation, suggesting breaking of the N-O bond.