Abstract
Hierarchical TiO2 superstructures with desired architectures and intriguing physico-chemical properties are considered to be one of the most promising candidates for solving the serious issues related to global energy exhaustion as well as environmental deterioration via the well-known photocatalytic process. In particular, TiO2 mesocrystals, which are built from TiO2 nanocrystal building blocks in the same crystallographical orientation, have attracted intensive research interest in the area of photocatalysis owing to their distinctive structural properties such as high crystallinity, high specific surface area, and single-crystal-like nature. The deeper understanding of TiO2 mesocrystals-based photocatalysis is beneficial for developing new types of photocatalytic materials with multiple functionalities. In this paper, a comprehensive review of the recent advances toward fabricating and modifying TiO2 mesocrystals is provided, with special focus on the underlying mesocrystallization mechanism and controlling rules. The potential applications of as-synthesized TiO2 mesocrystals in photocatalysis are then discussed to shed light on the structure–performance relationships, thus guiding the development of highly efficient TiO2 mesocrystal-based photocatalysts for certain applications. Finally, the prospects of future research on TiO2 mesocrystals in photocatalysis are briefly highlighted.
Highlights
Semiconductor-based photocatalysis is well known to be one of the most effective approaches to alleviate the serious conundrums of global energy exhaustion, as well as environmental deterioration, by utilizing the inexhaustible solar energy [1,2,3,4,5,6,7]
We have summarized some recent progress in fabricating TiO2 mesocrystals, with
We have summarized some recent progress in fabricating TiO2 mesocrystals, with special efforts being directed toward illustrating the underlying mesocrystallization process and its special efforts being directed toward illustrating the underlying mesocrystallization process and its controlling rules
Summary
Semiconductor-based photocatalysis is well known to be one of the most effective approaches to alleviate the serious conundrums of global energy exhaustion, as well as environmental deterioration, by utilizing the inexhaustible solar energy [1,2,3,4,5,6,7]. It has been well demonstrated that building highly ordered superstructures from nanocrystal building blocks is very important for fabricating new materials and devices, as this kind of nanoparticle assembly can display properties and functions associated with individual. It has been well demonstrated that building highly ordered superstructures from nanocrystal building blocks is very important for fabricating new materials and devices, as this kind. In oriented have drawn superstructure significant research interest since the concept of particular,nanocrystal mesocrystals,subunits, a new type of ordered built from crystallographically oriented “mesocrystal”. The mesocrystal concept evolved from the classical mesocrystals, which were generated process, to all the hierarchical materials built from crystallographically oriented nanocrystal subunits via the aforementioned mesoscale transformation process, to all the hierarchical materials built from regardless of the mechanism of formation.
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