TiO₂ aerogel composite high-efficiency photocatalysts for environmental treatment and hydrogen energy production

Abstract Photocatalysis is a new type of renewable energy technology used in environmental treatment and hydrogen energy production. In this regard, a new class of photocatalysts, TiO 2 aerogels, are attractive for having the chemical characteristics of TiO 2 nanomaterials such as high catalytic activity, good stability, non-toxic, and non-polluting, and the structural characteristics of aerogels such as large specific surface area, high porosity, the 3-dimensional interconnected network structure composed of relatively uniform nanoparticles, and high light transmittance. Here we review the recent progress in TiO 2 aerogels for photocatalysis, focusing on preparation techniques, the crystalline phases’ influence on photocatalytic properties, the modification of photocatalytic properties, and the analysis and discussion of future development. In particular, we first summarize various preparation techniques, including sol–gel method, nanoparticles self-assembly synthesis, and high-temperature aerosol technique, then detail the structure and composition of TiO 2 crystalline phases that affect the photocatalytic properties. Subsequently, we discuss strategies to further enhance the photocatalytic properties of TiO 2 aerogels by the composite of SiO 2 aerogel semiconductors, the doping of metal dopants, and the doping or composite of non-metallic substances, and elaborate the modification mechanism and the modification effect achieved. Finally, combined with the research status of TiO 2 aerogels and the development experience of other aerogels, we conduct a reasonable analysis and discussion on their further research directions and industrialization roads.