Porous Solids from Rigid Colloidal Templates: Morphogenesis

Abstract

Modern research is increasingly focusing on structuring matter on a nanometer length scale rather than producing molecularly new species. This article describes a method for synthesizing porous solids from rigid colloidal templates in three steps (see scheme): a) assembly of colloidal particles into a regular array, b) impregnation of the template with monomer(s) and polymerization, and c) removal of the template. For the materials prepared there is a vast number of potential applications ranging from robust catalysts and supports over size- and shape-selective membranes to photovoltaic devices.