Anatase TiO2 with Dominant High-Energy {001} Facets: Synthesis, Properties, and Applications

Control of the surface structure of inorganic materials, in particular titania (TiO2), by chemical processes under nonequilibrium conditions is of growing interest from scientific and utilitarian viewpoints. Titania is one of the most important materials because of its unique surface, electronic, and photocatalytic properties, which make this material applicable in many areas of science and technology ranging from adsorption, catalysis and photocatalysis to biomedicine, environmental monitoring and cleanup, energy conversion and storage, etc. Here we review the existing strategies for the synthesis of anatase TiO2 micro- and nanosheets with exposed high-energy {001} facets and for the assembly of these nanosheets into various hierarchical structures. The {001} facets are stabilized by specific capping agents (typically, fluoride), which are used to control the growth of titania crystals. The presence of high-energy facets in titania improves significantly its adsorption, electronic, and photocatalytic properties, making this material attractive for various environmental and energy-related applications.