Abstract: It is an object of the present invention to provide a porous body containing an oxide semiconductor in which more efficient photocatalytic reactions and photoelectrode reactions occur. The present invention relates to a porous body having a network structure skeleton wherein 1) the aforementioned skeleton is composed of an inner part and a surface part, 2) the aforementioned inner part is substantially made of carbon material, and 3) all or part of the aforementioned surface part is an oxide semiconductor, and to a manufacturing method therefor.

Abstract: Conventional porous carbon materials obtained by carbonizing an organic gel were prone to shrinkage during their manufacture, in the course of which the density rose and the specific surface area decreased. Another problem was that density and specific surface area were difficult to control after an organic gel had already been formed. In the present invention, a carbon material with a large specific surface area is formed by forming a composite porous material having a reticulated skeleton and composed of a dry gel of an inorganic oxide, and taking advantage of the reaction of this dry gel of an inorganic oxide as a structural support. In one method, a carbon material is formed in this reticulated skeleton in a state in which the characteristics of a dry gel of an inorganic oxide with a large specific surface area are maintained.