Template-directed synthesis of mesoporous TiO2 materials for energy conversion and storage

Abstract

Due to the high surface areas, large pore volumes, tunable mesostructures, and pore sizes, mesoporous materials are of great interests in the fields such as environment, catalysis, biomedicine, and energy conversation and storage. Among them, mesoporous TiO2 materials show great promise because of their unique features such as low cost, non-toxicity, biocompatibility, and stable physical and chemical properties. Over the past two decades, great achievements have been made in the synthesis and applications of mesoporous TiO2 materials. In this review, the synthetic methods for mesoporous TiO2 materials are briefly summarized from the viewpoint of templates. Three synthetic routes are highlighted, including soft-, hard-, and multi-templating methods. After that, the applications of mesoporous TiO2 materials, especially in energy conversion and storage, are discussed. Finally, the challenges and future directions of research and development in mesoporous TiO2 materials are prospected.