Facile micropatterning of mesoporous titania film by low-energy electron beam irradiation

A facile method to prepare ordered mesoporous titania films by low-energy electron beam (LEEB) irradiation was demonstrated. A possibility of one-pot micropatterning of the mesoporous titania film was discussed through site-selective LEEB irradiation. The LEEB irradiation (25 kV, 300 μA) was useful for rapid removal of surfactant molecules (within ∼5 min at ∼3 Pa) with the retention of mesostructure even when the mesostructure was constructed by lightly condensed titania frameworks. The titania frameworks in the LEEB-irradiated regions were sufficiently cross-linked and consolidated, so that one-pot micropatterning of mesoporous titania film (for example, 25 μm × 25 μm features) was also possible by site-selective LEEB irradiation, followed by washing away unirradiated regions with water.