ABSTRACTLateral thinking in biomimetic materials chemistry has permitted chemists to
create fascinating structures that mimic the biomaterials optimized by
Nature. The integration of organic and inorganic chemistry at multiple
length scales gives optimal performance characteristics to biomaterials,
such as bone. In a similar fashion, lateral thinking in our lab has enabled
us to consolidate the chemistry of inorganic surfactant-templated mesoporous
materials with the organic-inorganic hybrid structure of amorphous xerogels.
A new class of materials, periodic mesoporous organosilicas (PMOs), has
emerged that marries organic and solid-state chemistry in the channels of
hexagonally ordered mesoporous materials. Various organic and organometallic
groups may be integrated into the framework, creating materials with novel,
tunable properties. Surfactant can be solvent-extracted or ion-exchanged to
create a high surface area PMO with the framework and the organic group
intact. This renders the organic groups accessible for reaction to give a
new type of “chemistry of the channels”.
Characterization of Mesoporous Zirconium and Cerium Oxides by Transmission Electron Microscopy
