In this review, we discuss the phenomenon of complementary macropore incorporation into mesoporous and/or microporous solids in order to enhance their catalytic performance in fuels and chemicals synthesis.

Hierarchically structured Cu2O nanocubes have been synthesized by a facile and cost-effective one-pot, solution phase process. Self-assembly of 5nm Cu2O nanocrystallites induced through reduction by glucose affords a mesoporous 375nm cubic architecture with superior visible light photocatalytic performance in both methylene blue dye degradation and hydrogen production from water than conventional non-porous analogues. Hierarchical nanocubes offer improved accessible surface active sites and optical/electronic properties, which act in concert to confer 200–300% rate-enhancements for the photocatalytic decomposition of organic pollutants and solar fuels