Three-dimensional Titania Structures for Energy application

Abstract

TiO2 (titanium dioxide) has been widely used for many fields such as photocatalysts and dye sensitized solar cells (DSSC) since it allows for the easy pathway of the electrons. Besides, it is mesoporous, cheap, durable and easy to synthesize. Here we report the photocatalytic effects of three-dimensional TiO2 inverse opal (3D-TIO) nanostructure made via polystyrene nanospheres in face centered cubic (FCC) lattice. The 3D-TIO was made by sol-gel process through the proper control in thickness and pore size of TIO. The 3D-TIO showed improved photo conversion efficiency compared to the reference sample. The great performance of 3D-TIO which can be attributed to the large surface area suggests a variety of applications in energy-related materials as well as photonic applications.