TiO 2 Nanoparticles Supported on Hierarchical Meso/Macroporous SiO 2 Spheres for Photocatalytic Applications

Abstract

Supporting a photocatalyst, such as titania nanoparticles (TiO2 NPs), is a good strategy to improve its performance since it can facilitate the photocatalyst recovery from the aqueous media and provides a high surface area for pollutant adsorption. Among the several advanced functional materials used as TiO2 NP support, the hierarchical meso/macroporous SiO2 spheres not only show the advantages associated to its chemical nature but also the dendritic fibrous structure provides a porous network that offers many benefits to be exploited in optical and catalytic devices. In this chapter, different synthetic approaches to design hierarchical meso/macroporous silica and the strategies to support TiO2 NPs regarding the photocatalytic performance of these materials are shown.