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Rapid Fabrication of Mesoporous Titania Films with Controlled Macroporosity to Improve Photocatalytic Property
Author(s) -
Kimura Tatsuo,
Miyamoto Nobuyoshi,
Meng Xiangju,
Ohji Tatsuki,
Kato Kazumi
Publication year - 2009
Publication title -
chemistry – an asian journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.18
H-Index - 106
eISSN - 1861-471X
pISSN - 1861-4728
DOI - 10.1002/asia.200900154
Subject(s) - macropore , photodegradation , materials science , mesoporous material , anatase , photocatalysis , chemical engineering , polystyrene , calcination , porosity , fabrication , copolymer , nanotechnology , polymer , composite material , organic chemistry , catalysis , chemistry , engineering , medicine , alternative medicine , pathology
Hierarchically porous titania films were fabricated by dual templating using a triblock copolymer such as Pluronic F127 and polystyrene (PS) beads, affording mesoporous films with controlled macroporosity. The presence of the triblock copolymer in the precursor solutions suppressed a regular accumulation of spherical PS beads, and PS‐derived macropores could be dispersed over the whole mesoporous titania film through rapid fabrication by spin‐coating. Some of the macropores were clustered, but the presence of the large spaces was important for keeping the mesostructure after calcination. Photodegradation of methylene blue (MB) was investigated by using the photoactive anatase films. The photodegradation of MB over the porous anatase films was accelerated by effective diffusion of MB molecules in the PS‐derived macropores, but it was important for improving photocatalytic performance to regulate the balance between the effectiveness of the diffusion in the macropores and the decrease of the surface area from the embedded macropores, as well as the reduction in the transparency of the porous films.