Furfuryl Alcohol Content Research Articles

Concentration of furfuryl alcohol in fluid milk, dried dairy ingredients, and cultured dairy products

Maillard reactions occur in dairy products during heat treatment. Furfuryl alcohol (FA) may be found in dairy products as a result of Maillard reactions. The recent posting in California Proposition 65 indicates that FA may be carcinogenic, and for this reason it is crucial to accurately measure FA concentrations in dairy products. The objective of this study was to identify an extraction and quantitation method for FA from dairy products and to determine FA concentrations in milk, dairy powders, and cultured dairy products. Solvent-assisted flavor extraction, solid-phase microextraction, stir bar sorptive extraction with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry and triple quadrupole mass spectrometry were compared for recovery of FA. Internal standards for the quantitation of FA (2-methyl-3-heptanone, furfuryl-d5 alcohol, 2,5-dimethylphenol, 5-methyl-2-furfuryl alcohol, and 5-methyl furfural) were also compared. Subsequently, fluid milk [high temperature, short time (HTST) and ultrapasteurized], whey protein isolates (3 mo-4 yr), whey protein concentrates (3 mo-4 yr), whole milk powders (1 yr), high and low heat skim milk powders (SMP; 0-8 yr), milk protein isolates (3 mo-3 yr), milk protein concentrates (3 mo-3 yr), Cheddar cheese (mild, medium, sharp, and extra sharp), mozzarella cheese (whole and part skim), cottage cheese (nonfat, low fat, and full fat), sour cream (nonfat, low fat, and full fat), traditional yogurt (nonfat, low fat, and full fat), and Greek-style yogurt (nonfat; n = 139 products total) were evaluated. Furfuryl alcohol was extracted from products by headspace solid-phase microextraction followed by gas chromatography-triple quadrupole mass spectrometry using a ZB-5ms column (30 m × 0.25 mm × 0.25 µm; Phenomenex Inc., Torrance, CA). Furfuryl-d5 alcohol was used as an internal standard. Each food was extracted in triplicate. Ultrapasteurized milks had higher levels of FA than HTST milks (122.3 vs. 7.350 µg/kg). Furfuryl alcohol concentrations ranged from 0.634 to 26.55 µg/kg in whey protein isolates, 2.251 to 56.19 µg/kg in whey protein concentrates, 11.99 to 121.9 µg/kg in milk protein isolates, and 8.312 to 49.71 µg/kg in milk protein concentrates, and concentrations increased with powder storage. High heat SMP had higher concentrations of FA than low heat SMP (11.8 vs. 1.36 µg/kg) and concentrations increased with storage time. Concentrations of FA in Cheddar and mozzarella cheese ranged from 2.361 to 110.5 µg/kg and were higher than FA concentrations in cottage cheese or sour cream (0.049-1.017 µg/kg). These results suggest that FA is present at higher levels in dairy products that have been subjected to higher temperatures or have been stored longer. Sour cream and cottage cheese had lower levels of FA. Compared with other studies on food products with reported levels of FA, such as coffee (200-400 µg/g), dairy products have very low levels of FA.

Extruded flour improves batter pick-up, coating crispness and aroma profile

Fried battered foods are widely consumed worldwide. In this study, the influence of the replacement of native wheat flour by extruded flours (7.5 and 15%) subjected to different extrusion severities on chicken nuggets was assessed. Microstructure, pick-up, moisture and fat content, texture, colour, volatile profile, and consumer acceptability were evaluated. Extruded flour replacement resulted in batters with improved pick-up with increasing percentage and severity of extrusion treatment. Extruded flour also contributed to a moisture increase, while oil remained practically unchanged. Textural properties highlighted a higher crispness of batters made with high-severity treatment extruded flours. Volatile compounds analyses revealed lower amount of lipid oxidation (lower rancidity notes) and higher furfuryl alcohol content (pleasant aroma and darker crust) in fried batters containing extruded flour. Consumers testing showed that batters made with intermediate-severity treatment extruded flour presented the best acceptability. These results confirm that extruded flour inclusion improves the quality of deep-fried batters.

Two-Phase Diffusion Technique for the Preparation of Ultramacroporous/Mesoporous Silica Microspheres via Interface Hydrolysis, Diffusion, and Gelation of TEOS.

Honeycombed hierarchical ultramacroporous/mesoporous silica microspheres were prepared via the hydrolysis of TEOS in the oil-water interface, with subsequent diffusion and gelation in the acidic water-phase microdroplets with the assistance of a simple homemade microdevice. The diffusion of furfuryl alcohol (FA) also happened at a relatively high rate during the hydrolysis and diffusion of TEOS. Therefore, plenty of FA will be inside of the water microdroplets and form a decent number of polyfurfuryl alcohol (PFA) microparticles, thereby obtaining honeycombed hierarchical porosity silica microspheres with abundant ultramacroporous cavities and mesopores after calcination. It was found that the concentration of FA, residence time, and reaction temperature have significant effects on the porosity and pore size due to the influence on the diffusion rate and amount of FA in water-phase microdroplets. The honeycombed silica microspheres have obvious microscopic visible ultramacroporous cavities with the submicrometer cavity diameter as high as 85% porosity based on the rough overall volume of microsphere. N2 adsorption-desorption isotherms show that the honeycombed hierarchical porosity silica microspheres have a high surface area of 602 m2 g-1, a mesopore volume of 0.77 cm3/g, and a mesopore porosity of 99.6% based on the total pore volume of N2 adsorption-desorption. On the basis of the experiment results, a rational formation process of the honeycombed hierarchical porosity silica microspheres was deduced.

Assessing biodegradation of furfuryl alcohol using Pseudomonas putida MTCC 1194 and Pseudomonas aeruginosa MTCC 1034 and its kinetics.

The biodegradation of furfuryl alcohol (FA) in shake flask experiments using a pure culture of Pseudomonas putida (MTCC 1194) and Pseudomonas aeruginosa (MTCC 1034) was studied at 30°C and pH 7.0. Experiments were performed at different FA concentrations ranging from 50 to 500mg/l. Before carrying out the biodegradation studies, the bacterial strains were acclimatized to the concentration of 500mg/l of FA by gradually raising 100mg/l of FA in each step. The well acclimatized culture of P. putida and P. aeruginosa degraded about 80 and 66% of 50mg/l FA, respectively. At higher concentration of FA, the percentage of FA degradation decreased. The purpose of this study was to determine the kinetics of biodegradation of FA by measuring biomass growth rates and concentration of FA as a function of time. Substrate inhibition was calculated from experimental growth parameters using the Haldane equation. Data for P. putida were determined as µ max = 0.23h-1, K s = 23.93mg/l and K i = 217.1mg/l and for P. aeruginosa were determined as µ max = 0.13h-1, K s = 21.3mg/l and K i = 284.9mg/l. The experimental data were fitted in Haldane, Aiba and Edwards inhibition models.

Facile preparation of SERS and catalytically active Au nanostructures using furfuryl derivatives

Six different types of Au nanostructures with rough surfaces were readily prepared through the redox reactions between Au precursor, AuCl4−, and furfuryl derivatives without extra metal surface capping ligands, in deionized water at room temperature. Furfuryl alcohol (FA) or furfurylamine (FFA) was used as a sole reducing agent for the reduction of Au precursor. Both FA and FFA effectively polymerized during the redox reactions to form polyfuran polymers. These polymers are thought to act as surface capping ligands during the formation of Au nanostructures. Experiments were conducted with three different concentrations of each furfuryl derivative. Interestingly, Au particles prepared from the reaction with varying concentration of FA or FFA showed large differences in size, and revealed that the higher the ratios of [FA]/[AuCl4−] or [FFA]/[AuCl4−], the smaller the size of Au particles. The size of Au particles was in the range of 1μm to under 30nm. Among these samples, two nanostructured Au particles, AuFA-4 and AuFFA-1, deposited on a Si wafer by a simple drop-casting method, were revealed as highly active surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) substrates for the detection of methylene blue (MB) and crystal violet (CV). High SERS enhancement factors (EFs) of 106∼108 for MB and CV were observed. Small size Au nanoparticles (AuFFA-2 and AuFFA-4) were also found to be very active for the catalytic hydrogenation of 4-nitrophenol to 4-aminophenol in the presence of NaBH4 at room temperature. AuFFA-2 could be recycled eight times, without losing its activity.

Preparation of size-controllable monodispersed carbon@silica core-shell microspheres and hollow silica microspheres

Size-controllable monodispersed carbon@silica core-shell microspheres and hollow silica microspheres were prepared in a simple homemade T-type mixer by polymerization of furfuryl alcohol (FA) and hydrolysis of TEOS in H2SO4 water phase microdroplets to obtain polyfurfuryl alcohol (PFA)@silica microspheres, followed by carbonization and calcination. The FA and TEOS diffuse into the water phase from an oil phase. The flow rates of oil and water phase were 4 and 2 ml h−1, respectively. It was found that the concentration of FA has a more significant effect on the diameter of carbon@silica core-shell microspheres than TEOS due to the template effect of the PFA core. However, the diameter of the hollow silica microspheres was influenced by the concentration of TEOS more significantly. The obtained core-shell microspheres and hollow silica microspheres have large surface area of 555 and 769 m2 g−1, respectively. The hollow silica microspheres have both microporous and mesoporous structure, and the percentage of mesoporous volume was as high as 89%. In addition, based on the study results, a rational formation process of the carbon@silica core-shell microsphere and hollow silica microspheres was assumed.

Characterization of volatile compounds in Criollo, Forastero, and Trinitario cocoa seeds (Theobroma cacao L.) in China

ABSTRACTThe volatile composition of cocoa from 16 accessions covering three different morphogenetic groups, namely, Criollo, Forastero, and Trinitario, was investigated. Fifty-three compounds were profiled using HS-SPME-GC-MS, and the number of volatiles per accession was found to be significantly associated with the morphogenetic groups. Volatile assemblages differed significantly among Criollo, Forastero, and Trinitario groups (ANOSIM, R = 0.715, p = 0.001). The differences in the volatile compounds of the three morphogenetic groups were essentially quantitative, and only a few compounds were found exclusively specific to a certain group, mainly in Trinitario. Moreover, the volatile compounds differed from these morphogenetic groups, which revealed complex interactions between them, including participation in the same biosynthetic pathways. Principal component analysis revealed that Trinitario cocoa had high contents of furfuryl alcohol, 3-carene, 2-pentanol, 1-pentanol, 2,3-butanediol, 2-heptanol, and benzyl acetate. Criollo cocoa contained high amounts of α-limonene, β-caryophyllene, β-myrcene, α-phellandrene, β-linalool, and acetic acid. Forastero cocoa also exhibited high contents of 3-methylbutanoic acid, 2-(2-butoxyethoxy) ethanol, anethole, and 2,4-pentanediol. However, the volatile compound pattern detected in Forastero cocoa was inconsistent. Volatile profiling of cocoa by HS-SPME-GC-MS and the interrelationship detected among the volatiles can be used as a roadmap for future breeding or biotechnological applications.

Study of adhesive bondlines in modified wood with fluorescence microscopy and X-ray micro-computed tomography

The quantitative penetration of three coldset wood adhesives [one-component polyurethane (PU), emulsion polymer isocyanate (EPI), poly (vinyl acetate) (PVAc)] under hydraulic pressure into different types of modified wood was studied using fluorescence microscopy and the results were compared to these of a previous study without pressure on adjacent wood samples. The effective penetration (EP) of PU was negatively affected by furfurlylation and NMM modification when pressure was applied. For PVAc, 30% NMM treatment and heat treatment of Scots pine and beech at 210°C had a negative effect on its EP, but against this the EP of this adhesive increased after heat treatment of beech at 195°C. In the case of furfurylation, the depth of penetration of all adhesives was less into wood treated with higher concentration of furfuryl alcohol. PU showed a much deeper penetration into NMM-modified and heat-treated wood than the other adhesives with the exception of heat-treated beech at 195°C. Application of pressure led to rather different results as compared to the EP data when no pressure was applied. The three-dimensional (3D) visualisation of the penetration of PU adhesive into heat-treated Scots pine was also examined by X-ray micro-computed tomography (XµCT). The 3D flow pattern of PU adhesive into heat-treated Scots pine was clearly depicted by XµCT.

The Furfurylation of Wood: A Nanomechanical Study of Modified Wood Cells

Furfurylation of wood is of interest worldwide as an environmentally friendly modification process. It is widely assumed that low-molecular weight furfuryl alcohol (FA) can penetrate into wood cells and polymerize in-situ during the process, resulting in substantial improvement in the physical-mechanical properties and durability of wood. In this study, confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM) was used to visualize the microscopic distribution of polymerized FA resin in the Masson pine wood cavities, and a Nanoindenter was used to probe the mechanical properties of modified wood cells. The effects of catalysts (maleic anhydride and a mixed organic acid catalyst), FA concentration, curing time, and curing temperature on the nanomechanical properties of wood cell walls were investigated. An improvement in the indentation modulus and hardness of modified wood cells demonstrated indirectly but strongly that FA indeed penetrated wood cells during the modification process. Based on the results of the cell wall nanoindentation test, a combination of 50% furfuryl alcohol, 8 h curing time, and 95 °C curing temperature were proposed as the starting processing parameters for the development of a more practical and effective wood furfurylation process using a mixed organic acid catalyst.

Formation of humin and alkyl levulinate in the acid-catalyzed conversion of biomass-derived furfuryl alcohol

To avoid undesired polymerization and maximize the selectivity of alkyl levulinate from the acid-catalyzed conversion of biomass-derived furfuryl alcohol, the effects of catalyst and reaction parameters on the formations of humin and alkyl levulinate were investigated. The results show that Amberlyst 15, of moderate acidic strength, was more favorable for the selective conversion of furfuryl alcohol to alkyl levulinate, and heteropolyacids of strong acidic strength tended to promote furfuryl alcohol polymerization. Compared with water as a reaction medium, alcohol significantly lowered humin formation and enhanced the yield of the resulting products. The formations of humin and alkyl levulinate were both favored at high catalyst loadings and reaction temperatures. An augmentation in initial furfuryl alcohol concentration caused an increase in humin formation and a decrease in alkyl levulinate yield. A high alkyl levulinate yield of up to 94% (100% furfuryl alcohol conversion) was achieved at 110 °C for 4 h with 5 g/L Amberlyst 15 catalyst and an initial furfuryl alcohol concentration of 0.1 mol/L. At this point, about 5% furfuryl alcohol was polymerized to form the humin, and its polymerization occurred mainly during the initial reaction stage.

Formation of Humin and Alkyl Levulinate in the Acid-catalyzed Conversion of Biomass-derived Furfuryl Alcohol

To avoid undesired polymerization and maximize the selectivity of alkyl levulinate from the acid-catalyzed conversion of biomass-derived furfuryl alcohol, the effects of catalyst and reaction parameters on the formations of humin and alkyl levulinate were investigated. The results show that Amberlyst 15, of moderate acidic strength, was more favorable for the selective conversion of furfuryl alcohol to alkyl levulinate, and heteropolyacids of strong acidic strength tended to promote furfuryl alcohol polymerization. Compared with water as a reaction medium, alcohol significantly lowered humin formation and enhanced the yield of the resulting products. The formations of humin and alkyl levulinate were both favored at high catalyst loadings and reaction temperatures. An augmentation in initial furfuryl alcohol concentration caused an increase in humin formation and a decrease in alkyl levulinate yield. A high alkyl levulinate yield of up to 94% (100% furfuryl alcohol conversion) was achieved at 110 °C for 4 h with 5 g/L Amberlyst 15 catalyst and an initial furfuryl alcohol concentration of 0.1 mol/L. At this point, about 5% furfuryl alcohol was polymerized to form the humin, and its polymerization occurred mainly during the initial reaction stage.

Catalytic upgrading of renewable furfuryl alcohol to alkyl levulinates using AlCl3 as a facile, efficient, and reusable catalyst

The use of various aluminum salts as acid catalysts was compared in terms of catalytic upgrading of renewable furfuryl alcohol in hot ethanol medium. The commercially available AlCl3 was emerged as a simple, cheap, and efficient catalyst for the synthesis of ethyl levulinate. From this study, four significant parameters including AlCl3 dosage, furfuryl alcohol concentration, temperature, and time were evaluated and modeled to determine the optimal combination via response surface methodology with a central composite rotatable design. All parameters influenced the formation of ethyl levulinate—the maximum yield was 95.7% (100% furfuryl alcohol conversion). AlCl3 could be recovered efficiently and reused multiple times without substantial loss of its catalytic activity. Moreover, AlCl3 as the catalyst with optimized conditions was appropriate for the alcoholysis of furfuryl alcohol in other linear alcohols to afford equally high yields of the corresponding alkyl levulinates.

Gross adhesive penetration in furfurylated, N-methylol melamine-modified and heat-treated wood examined by fluorescence microscopy

This study investigated the radial penetration of three conventional cold-set wood adhesives [emulsion polymer isocyanate (EPI), poly (vinyl acetate) (PVAc), one-component polyurethane (PU)] into various degrees of furfurylated and N-methylol melamine-modified (NMM) Scots pine, and heat-treated Scots pine and beech based on measurements of effective (EP) and maximum penetration (MP) from microscopic observations. EP of EPI adhesive decreased after modification with higher concentration of furfuryl alcohol while an improved penetration was recorded for PVAc into furfurylated wood. A deeper penetration was observed for all adhesives into wood treated with lower concentration of furfuryl alcohol. The EP of EPI and PU adhesives reduced after NMM treatment but it increased in the case of PVAc. In spite of reduction of EP of PU after NMM treatment, it represented a deeper penetration among all adhesives possibly due to its lower molecular weight. For Scots pine, increasing the treatment temperature improved EP of all adhesives while for beech, the EP of PU and PVAc increased largely in the case of samples treated at 195 °C. Visual analysis of fluorescence microscopy pictures provided more detailed information on modality of penetration. The results are useful for understanding the interaction among common adhesives and modified materials, and can be used in future research to explain the bonding behavior of modified wood.

The Influence of the Content of Furfuryl Alcohol Monomer on the Process of Moulding Sand's Thermal Destruction

Abstract The article discusses the issue of the influence of furfuryl alcohol content in resin binders on properties of moulding sand at elevated temperature. Reducing the share of this component - due to the requirements of the European Union regarding its toxicity - may cause a decrease in temperature of moulding sands’ destruction and, consequently, the thermal deformation of moulds and the creation of many casting defects. The study examined the impact of the furfuryl alcohol content of the thermal destruction processes and on the strength of the moulding sand at an ambient temperature and the tendency to thermal deformation.

Solar production of singlet oxygen from crude oil films on water

Abstract Photochemical production of singlet oxygen from thin oil films over seawater and pure water was measured with furfuryl alcohol as a selective chemical probe. Oil was collected from the surface of the Gulf of Mexico following the deepwater horizon spill and from other sources. The loss of furfuryl alcohol and the formation of 6-hydroxy(2H)pyran-3(6H)-one were monitored. Total singlet oxygen formation was studied using high furfuryl alcohol concentrations and varying exposure time. The total amount of singlet oxygen produced in 1 h irradiations of thin oil films (100 mg, 60 microns thick) over Gulf of Mexico water and pure water were 1.9 ± 0.4 × 10−5 and 1.6 ± 0.3 × 10−5 mol, respectively. After initial tests were performed, titanium dioxide (TiO2) nanomaterials were added to the system in two different concentrations to study the effects of singlet oxygen formation in the presence of a photocatalyst. The addition of TiO2 nanoparticles did not significantly change the observed formation rate of singlet oxygen. Steady state concentrations of photoproduced singlet oxygen were also determined and found to be near 1 × 10−12 M in water under thin films of oil, which is considerably greater than values previously observed for pure seawater. This study illustrates that oil is a source of singlet oxygen when exposed to sunlight. The fate of oil and other dissolved species will be heavily dependent on the formation and reaction of singlet oxygen in thin oil films on water.

Preparation of Ultrafine Carbon Spheres by Controlled Polymerization of Furfuryl Alcohol in Microdroplets

Carbon microspheres with mean particle sizes of 0.7–1.2 μm were prepared by polymerization of furfuryl alcohol (FA) in H2SO4 solution droplets without any surfactant, followed by pyrolysis. FA was introduced by diffusion from FA-containing oil phase into the droplets formed in an interdigital micromixer. The oil to aqueous phase flow rate ratio and the FA and H2SO4 concentrations should be kept at medium values. A decrease in the total flow rate ratio, oil to aqueous phase flow rate ratio, or FA concentration results in small-sized carbon microspheres, and a decrease in the FA or H2SO4 concentration leads to formation of the carbon microspheres exhibiting rough surface. The carbon microspheres show good dispersity in ethanol and microporosity. Their particle sizes could be further reduced to 150 nm by using polyvinyl pyrrolidone, and their mesoporosity can easily be endowed by adding silica nanoparticles in the droplets.

Effect of furfural alcohol/phenol-formaldehyde resin mass ratio on the properties of porous carbon

Porous carbons were prepared from resin mixtures containing furfuryl alcohol (FA) and phenolic-formaldehyde resin (PF) as the carbon precursors. The effect of FA/PF mass ratio on the pore structure of the porous carbons was systematically investigated. Crosslinked carbon network could be obtained with the mass ratio of FA and PF changing from 0:10 to 3:7. With increasing FA content in the mixtures, the pore size distribution of carbon monoliths broadened, and the average pore size and apparent porosity of the carbonized products increased from 11.8 to 127.7nm and from 40.9% to 51.6%, respectively. The morphological and pore structure change of the porous carbons was a result of polymerization kinetics change induced by varying the FA/PF mass ratio in the polymer system on curing of initial resin compositions. Increasing FA/PF mass ratio led increased atomic order to occur in the amorphous structure.

On the effects of emulsion polymerization of furfuryl alcohol on the formation of carbon spheres and other structures derived by pyrolysis of polyfurfuryl alcohol

Carbon spheres were synthesized by emulsion polymerization and pyrolysis of polyfurfuryl alcohol. Pluronic F-127 was used as the structure-directing agent to synthesize polymer spheres that after pyrolysis led to carbon spheres with average sizes from 50nm to few micrometers in diameter depending upon the conditions of polymerization. As-synthesized carbon spheres possess high surface areas of around 480m2/g with an average mean pore size of 0.5nm. These spheres can be activated using carbon dioxide to create much higher surface areas (>1500m2/g). Different compositional regions of the pseudo-ternary phase diagram of surfactant/monomer/solvent were explored in order to determine the effects of changes in the emulsion polymerization variables on the kinds of carbon morphologies that could be derived from polyfurfuryl alcohol after pyrolysis. The diameter of the carbon spheres was found to be sensitive to monomer and surfactant concentrations, acid molarity and solvent composition. In general, the diameter of the spheres grew with increasing furfuryl alcohol concentration and decreasing surfactant concentration, respectively. By varying the acid concentration and solvent composition, a minimum diameter for spheres was found. The formation and size of the spheres are strongly influenced both by micelle growth and the polymerization mechanism.

Enzymatic Synthesis of Furfuryl Alcohol Ester with Oleic Acid by Candida antarctica Lipase B and Its Kinetic Study

This study investigated the successful enzymatic production of furfuryl oleate and its detailed kinetic study by Michaelis–Menten model. Esterification of oleic acid and furfuryl alcohol by Candida antarctica lipase B (Novozym 435 preparation) in a solvent free system was studied in the present work at 1:1 molar ratio of furfuryl alcohol and oleic acid. About 99 % conversion (on the basis of oleic acid) has been achieved within 6 h at 5 % enzyme concentration. Ping-pong bi-bi mechanism (inhibition phenomenon taken into account) was applied to describe the ratios as a complex kinetic model. The kinetic parameters were determined using MATLAB language programme. The two initial rate constants KA and KB respectively were found out by different progress curves plotted with the help of MATLAB language programme. It was concluded from the results that furfuryl alcohol considerably inhibited the enzymatic reaction while oleic acid had negligible inhibitory effect. It was clearly seen that the initial rate was increased with the increase in the furfuryl alcohol concentration until 2 M/L after which there was a drop in the initial rate depicting the inhibitory effect of furfuryl alcohol. Surprisingly, it has been observed that addition of 0.1 mol of product activated the esterification reaction. Finally, the model was found to be statistically fitting well with the experimental data.

Synthesis and Photocatalytic Activity of Titania Monoliths Prepared with Controlled Macro- and Mesopore Structure

Herein, we report a one-pot synthesis of crack-free titania monoliths with hierarchical macro-mesoporosity and crystalline anatase walls. Bimodal macroporosity is created through the polymer-induced phase separation of poly(furfuryl alcohol). The cationic polymerization of furfuryl alcohol is performed in situ and subsequently the polymer becomes immiscible with the aqueous phase, which includes titanic acid. Addition of template, Pluronic F127, increases the mesopore volume and diameter of the resulting titania, as the poly(ethylene glycol) block interacts with the titania precursor, leading to assisted assembly of the metal oxide framework. The hydrophobic poly(propylene glycol) micelle core could itself be swollen with monomeric and oligomeric furfuryl alcohol, allowing for mesopores as large as 18 nm. Variations in synthesis parameters affect porosity; for instance furfuryl alcohol content changes the size and texture of the macropores, water content changes the grain size of the titania and Pluronic F127 content changes the size and volume of the mesopore. Morphological manipulation improves the photocatalytic degradation of methylene blue. Light can penetrate several millimeters into the porous monolith, giving these materials possible application in commercial devices.