Formation of highly ordered mesoporous titania films consisting of crystalline nanopillars with inverse mesospace by structural transformation.

Highly ordered mesoporous titania films consisting of crystalline nanopillars with open-spaced, perpendicular, and continuous porosity have been prepared via structural transformation from a 3D hexagonal mesostructure during the thermal treatment. The mechanism of the structural transformation is explained by the crystallization of the titania framework and the large contraction of the initial 3D hexagonal mesostructured film upon calcination. This structural transformation provides a new approach to generate mesoporous thin-film materials with unique structures.