Environment-friendly biomimetic synthesis of TiO2 nanomaterials for photocatalytic application

We have demonstrated an environment-friendly biomimetic synthesis method for the preparation of TiO2 nanomaterials with different crystal phases and morphologies. This is the first time that it has been found that the crystal phase of TiO2 can be controlled just by using different biotemplates, and cannot be changed by calcination up to 750 degrees C. In our experiment, anatase TiO2 was obtained by using yeast and albumen templates, while rutile TiO2 was formed by using dandelion pollen as the template.