Highly ordered mesoporous TiO2 nanomeshes with tunable pore periodicity via self-limiting modular monolayer assembly of monomicelles

Abstract Precisely controlling the two-dimensional (2-D) modular assembly of monolayer micelle building blocks into free-standing highly-ordered mesoporous crystalline nanomeshes with adjustable pore periodicity and configuration remains a significant challenge. Here, highly-uniform free-standing ultrathin mesoporous TiO2 nanomeshes with periodically arranged pore arrays have been synthesized via a self-limiting modular monolayer assembly of monomicelles. The resultant free-standing mesoporous TiO2 nanomeshes are perforated by monolayer long-range ordered hexagonal pore arrays with through mesopores ( ~25 nm in diameter), forming highly periodic 2-D mesostructures with a thickness of ~17 nm and a specific surface area of ~97 m2 g−1. The pore periodicity can accurately be controlled from ~30 to 51 nm by varying the precursor-to-template ratio. As a proof of concept, the TiO2 nanomeshes are deployed as anode protectors in Sn aqueous batteries, with a prolonged cycle life of over 1400 h at 1.0 mA cm–2.