Monolithic Silica Gel-Glasses With Well-Defined Macropores And Supramolecularly Templated Mesopores

Supramolecular templating of highly ordered mesopores in oxides or inorganic-organic hybrid compositions via liquid-phase synthesis route have been drawing increasing attention. Such mesoporous materials in the forms of film and small particles have been successfully prepared by utilising a unique process in which high ordered mesophases are formed due to the preferential evaporation of mediating constituents such as alcohols. In this paper, the preparation of macroporous silica gel glasses by phase separation, together with templated mesopores by an addition of supramolecular templating agent is described.