POROUS CORAL-LIKE TIO2 STRUCTURES PRODUCED BY TEMPLATING POLYMER GELS

A new synthetic approach to generate highly porous semiconductor netwo rks that could be used for catalytic and solar cell applications is re ported. Titanium dioxide networks were produced using a polymer gel te mplating procedure, resulting in a coral-like structure with a wall th ickness of about 100-150 nm and pore sizes ranging from 100 nm to micr ometers in diameter. Calcination results in the production of either t he anatase or rutile crystal phases without carbon contamination from the starting polymer materials, with the individual titanium dioxide p articles contacting neighbors, thereby forming a continuous network. T he results obtained are of importance to various fields of research as the open ''coral-like'' network structure of the titanium dioxide all ows high access of the titanium dioxide surface to the reaction medium .