A template-free synthesis of mesoporous SrTiO3 single crystals

Mesoporous single crystals have attracted considerable attention owing to their wide applications in (photo)catalysis, photovoltaics, and numerous other electrical energy conversion and storage technologies. Here, by using low-valent Ti3+ precursors, we have successfully synthesized well-defined mesoporous single-crystal strontium titanate (MSC SrTiO3) without a template via a facile hydrothermal method. The BET surface area and average pore diameter of MSC SrTiO3 are 18.6 m2 g−1 and 22 nm, respectively. Moreover, the as-synthesized MSC SrTiO3 features abundant oxygen vacancies. By using time-dependent structural and morphological characterizations, a hypothetical crystal growth mechanism was proposed.