3DOM colloidal crystal templates

Sadakane, M., Asanuma, T., Kubo, J. et al. (2005) Facile procedure to prepare three-dimensionally ordered macroporous (3DOM) perovskite-type mixed metal oxides by colloidal crystal templating method, Chem. Mater. 17, 3546. 

DOM materials are prepared using colloidal crystal templates [2-8]. The colloidal crystal (opal structure) templates consist of monodispersed spheres with face-centered closed (fee) packing. When 3D network of voids in colloidal crystals is filled by targeted materials and subsequentiy the colloidal crystals are removed, a replica of the colloidal crystal (inverse opal structure) is produced (Figure 6.2). 

Most of 3DOM metal oxides are fabricated by an alkoxide-based sol-gel process. The typical procedures include (i) preparation of a colloidal crystal template by ordering monodispersive microspheres (e.g., PS, PMMA or silica) into a face-centered close-packed array (ii) infiltration of a metal alkoxide solution into voids in the colloidal crystals, and in-situ solidification of the precimsor via a sol-gel process and (iii) template removal via a calcination or extraction pathway [99,217-219], Using the alkoxide-based sol-gel method, 3DOM oxides of Si, Ti, Zr, Al, Sb, W, Fe, and 3DOM mixed oxides of some of them can synthesized due to the moderate reactivity of their alkoxide preciuTsors [99], However, most of the other metal alkoxides exhibit high reactivity and their reactions are too quick to be... 

Other attempts follow the dual micellular templating approach involving a combination of block copolymers, surfactants, and alcohols [208]. The colloidal templating method produces three-dimensionally ordered macrostructures (3DOM-structures) [208]. However, even for the colloidal templating, the routes include besides the formation of the three-dimensionally arranged colloidal crystal always a second... 

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