Sponge phases block copolymers

Thus, these mesostructures are predominantly lamellar, and identified as conventional (parabolic) lamellar phases, although they may in fact be hyperbolic. Indeed, unless v/al is exactly unity, a planar interface (lamellar mesophase) incurs a bending energy cost hyperbolic sponge monolayers or bilayers or mesh monolayer mesophases are favoured if v/al differs from unity. It is likely then that many "lamellar"" phases in fact adopt a hyperbolic geometry. Careful neutron-scattering studies of a lamellar phase have revealed the presence of a large number of hyperbolic "defects" (pores within the bilayers) in one case [16]. (An example of this mis-identification of hyperbolic phases in block copolymers is discussed in section 4.10.)... 

Stucky11751 developed a procedure for the synthesis of sponge-like silica membranes with 3-D meso-macrostructures. The process utilizes multiphase media composed of a mesoscopically ordered block copolymer-silica phase that macroscopically separates from an electrolyte phase. The different characteristic lengthscales in hierarchically organized composite structures can be independently adjusted. 

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