An integrated low temperature approach to highly photoactive nanocrystalline mesostructured titania

A new type of nanocrystalline mesostructured TiO2 (NMT) predominantly in the anatase phase with a high specific surface area up to 269 m2 g−1 was prepared by a novel integrated nonhydrolytic sol–gel/UV-illumination technique at low temperature. During the gaseous phase photocatalytic degradation of acetone, the material exhibited excellent photoactivity, much higher than commercial Degussa P-25, which closely related to the markedly enhanced crystallization degree and the beneficial formation of surface Ti–OH groups on the NMT sample during the post UV-illumination process.