Template-free synthesis of uniform magnetic mesoporous TiO2 nanospindles for highly selective enrichment of phosphopeptides

Abstract

A novel, simple and template-free strategy was developed for the synthesis of uniform magnetic mesoporous TiO₂ nanospindles. Unlike previous synthetic approaches which mainly involve the strict control of sol–gel processes, templates, or capping agents, our strategy is based on an additional post-hydrolysis route, giving rise to mesoporous TiO₂ with a high surface area (366 m² g⁻¹). After crystallization, the mesoporous TiO₂ nanospindles obtained a high surface area (∼117 m² g⁻¹) and a large pore size (∼5.4 nm), and exhibited a high magnetic susceptibility (∼18.0 emu g⁻¹), as well as showed a remarkable performance for highly selective and rapid enrichment of phosphopeptides with an unprecedented enrichment capacity of ∼300 mg g⁻¹. These understandings open up a new way for the preparation of functional mesoporous TiO₂-based materials with high surface areas in a template-free manner, which is of significant importance for applications from both environmental and industrial points of view.