Fabricating 3D hierarchical porous TiO2 and SiO2 with high specific surface area by using nanofibril-interconnected cellulose aerogel as a new biotemplate

3D porous inorganic materials play a vital role in various applications, such as adsorption, catalysis, and electrochemistry, and are an ongoing interest in the synthesis of advanced porous materials. Herein, we aimed to fabricate 3D free-standing hierarchical porous TiO2 and SiO2 with tunable porous structure and high specific surface area by using cellulose aerogel as a new biotemplate. The results revealed that the hierarchical porous structure of 3D porous TiO2 and SiO2 could be easily tailored by controlling annealing process. The physicochemical structure of the resultant porous materials, such as morphology, specific surface area and phase structure, strongly depended on the thermal stability of the biotemplate. 3D porous TiO2 and SiO2 with specific surface areas of high up to 221.1 m2/g and 451.3 m2/g could be obtained, respectively. In addition, the as-prepared TiO2 exhibited a high photocatalytic activity, demonstrating their potential application in advanced photocatalysis.