Sphere templating methods for periodic porous solids

摘要: This paper reviews methods that employ colloidal crystals, composed of monodisperse silica or polymer spheres, to template periodic porous solids. The resulting structures can be regarded as inverse replicas the array, opals. A large number compositions have been prepared by various modifications a crystal templating process, including silicates and organosilicates, metal oxides, metals, chalcogenides carbon allotropes. Regardless product composition, involve several common steps. In first step, crystals are formed packing uniform spheres into three-dimensional sometimes two-dimensional arrays. second interstitial space is filled fluid subsequently converted solid skeleton. final removed, creating skeleton in location former spaces interconnected voids where were originally located. Each these steps, together with appropriate synthesis conditions (or literature references) outlined for diverse compositions. Potential applications macroporous solids include photonic catalysts, supports, sensors, electrodes electrolytes.