Synthesis of a mesoporous titania thin film with a pseudo-single-crystal framework by liquid-phase epitaxial growth, and enhancement of photocatalytic activity.

A mesoporous titania thin film with a pseudo-single-crystal framework was synthesized on a lanthanum aluminate single-crystal substrate by a surfactant-assisted sol-gel method and liquid-phase epitaxial growth. The crystal lattices were well aligned within the titania framework. The highly energetic {001} facet was exposed on the top surface, which significantly enhanced the photocatalytic activity.