Water-assisted crystallization of mesoporous anatase TiO2 nanospheres

Abstract

We report a facile water-assisted crystallization process for the conversion of amorphous sol–gel derived TiO₂ into mesoporous anatase nanostructures with a high surface area and well-controlled porosity and crystallinity. As an alternative to conventional calcination methods, this approach works under very mild conditions and is therefore much desired for broad biological, environmental and catalytic applications.