Solvent-Free Self-Assembly for Scalable Preparation of Highly Crystalline Mesoporous Metal Oxides.

Mesoporous metal oxides (MMOs) have been demonstrated great potential in various applications. Up to now, the direct synthesis of MMOs is still limited to the solvent induced inorganic-organic self-assembly process. Here, we develop a facile, general, and high throughput solvent-free self-assembly strategy to synthesize a series of MMOs including single-component MMOs and multi-component MMOs (e.g., doped MMOs, composite MMOs, and polymetallic oxide) with high crystallinity and remarkable porous properties by grinding and heating raw materials. Compared with the traditional solution self-assembly process, the avoidance of solvents in this method not only greatly increases the yield of target products and synthesis efficiency, but also reduces the environmental pollution and the consumption of cost and energy. We believe the presented approach will pave a new avenue for scalable production of advanced mesoporous materials for various applications.