Efficient mesoporous silica-titania catalysts from colloidal self-assembly

Mesoporous silica-titania materials of tunable composition and texture, which present a high catalytic activity in the mild oxidation of sulfur compounds, have been obtained by combining the spray-drying process with the colloidal self-assembly of alpha-chitin nanorods (biopolymer acting as a template) and organometallic oligomers.