Macroporous TiO₂ foam with mesoporous walls

We demonstrate a simple route for the preparation of new three-dimensionally interconnected hierarchically porous anatase TiO₂ foams via a dual-templating approach. The macropores in TiO₂ foams are induced through a process of sintering the polyurethane foams template, while a surfactant templating agent promotes the formation of mesopores in the walls of a macroporous monolith of TiO₂ foam. The macropore sizes of interconnected networks can be tuned by varying the pores per linear inch of polyurethane foams. This single step method of synthesis from cheap commercially available chemicals is suitable for mass production of three-dimensionally interconnected macro/mesoporous TiO₂ foams.