The use of nanostructured materials is representing a breakthrough in many fields of applications owing to their empowered functionalities. In this framework, newly-designed spongy TiO2 layers are deposited by a reactive sputtering method based on Grazing-Incidence Geometry combined with Local OXidation of the species (gig-lox). The deposited material gains 50% porosity in volume through depths of hundreds of nanometers and consists of a forest of uniform rods separated by meso-pores (pipelines for dye diffusion) …