A facile, green strategy is explored to obtain mesoporous titanium glycolate (Ti(OCH2CH2O)2) via a one-pot hydrothermal reaction. The mesoporous Ti(OCH2CH2O)2 nanomaterials take on a three-dimensional V-type stripe structure with a specific surface area of 246.5 m2 g−1 and present an excellent adsorption capacity of toxic heavy metal ions in aqueous solution, 225.73 mg g−1 for Pb(II), 131.93 mg g−1 for As(V) and 156.01 mg g−1 for As(III) with fast adsorption rates. The removal mechanism was found to derive from the electrostatic interaction or coordination interaction between Ti(OCH2CH2O)2 and heavy metal ions in aqueous solution since the mesoporous materials display a pH-dependent effect for arsenic removal.
