Structure of Mesoporous Aerogels
Several emerging technologies depend on the development of porous materials with pore dimensions in the nanometer range (1 nm = 10 Å). Based on the canonical classification scheme, such materials are defined as “mesoporous materials.” Specialty uses, such as separation applications, require porosities engineered to meet stringent pore-size requirements, particularly for separating high-boiling-temperature or-ganics. In addition, commodity products, such as high-performance thermal insulation, await credible manufacturing methods to produce fine-scale pores. Finally, information discovered during the development of mesoporous materials could be helpful in finding new strategies to generate void-free ceramic materials by reverse engineering.Although several methods exist to generate nanometer porosity, our ability to tailor porosity for specific applications is still primitive. Because we lack adequate structural data and models for pore formation, the relationship between synthetic protocol and pore structure remains enigmatic.