Macroporous Oxide Platforms Templated by Non‐Close‐Packed Spherical Copolymer Aggregates

Exclusive organic templating of macroporous oxide films is reported by using non‐close and lose packing of spherical copolymer aggregates, in combination with facile control of condensation degree/density of inorganic oxide frameworks. Unique macroporous oxide films, mainly titania showing highly porous, crystalline, and versatile properties, can be fabricated with continuous design from unusual 3‐D net‐shape to tunable spherical macrostructures, which expands the preparation of other inorganic oxide films (silica, alumina, and zirconia) and possibly adapts the use of other assembled organic polymers. The macroporous structures are helpful for effective accommodation of bulky biomoleculeshigh and diffusivity of organic molecules (useful for photocatalysts). Unusual structural variation, expansion of spherical voids, is also observed, being useful for fine tuning of optical property.     

Sol–gel synthesis of porous titania fibers by electro-spinning for water purification

In this study, porous ceramic fibers were prepared by the sol–gel-assisted electro-spinning process using colloidal dispersion of complex fluids for the application of phtotocatalysts. First, polystyrene nanospheres were synthesized by dispersion polymerization as sacrificial templates for porous fibers. Then, the mixture of polyvinylpyrrolidone and the ceramic precursor with the polymeric nanospheres was prepared as the spinning solution and self-organized by electro-spinning, followed by calcination of the electrospun composite fibers. The morphologies of the porous fibers could be controlled according to the size of the templates and the amount of the ceramic precursor. The nano-structure of the pores in the fibrous materials could also be adjusted as open or closed cavities with various potential applications. As a demonstrative application, the macroporous titania fibers could be utilized as photocatalysts for the removal of organic dyes dissolved in water. A better photocatalytic activity of the macroporous fibers with 700-nm pore diameter was observed compared to the result of nonporous titania fibers due to the increased porosity. Collectively, the macroporous ceramic fibers were found to be efficient functional materials to prepare the unique nano-structured materials other than simple nonporous fibers.     

The synthesis of mesoporous TiO2/SiO2/Fe2O3 hybrid particles containing micelle-induced macropores through an aerosol based process

Mesoporous SiO(2)/TiO(2)/Fe(2)O(3) particles containing macropores of about 50 nm in diameter have been prepared by an aerosol process using cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) as a templating agent. In contrast to the traditional templating effect of CTAB to form ordered mesoporous silicas, the morphology here is vastly different due to the presence of precursor iron salts. The particles have mesoporosity templated by CTAB but additionally have large voids leading to a combined macroporous and mesoporous structure. The morphology is explained through the formation of colloidal structures containing species such as CTA(+)X(-1)Fe(3+) colloids in the aerosol droplets, indicating of a salt bridging effect. This dual porosity has applied implications, as the macropores provide easy entry to the particle interior in potentially diffusion limited situations. Furthermore, the particles encapsulate Fe(2)O(3) and contain TiO(2) leading to the dual functional properties of magnetic response and photocatalytic activity.     

胶体晶体模板法制备三维有序大孔复合氧化物*

胶体晶体模板法是制备三维有序大孔（3DOM）复合氧化物材料的有效方法。制备过程一般包括3个步骤：首先,将单分散微球堆积成三维有序排列的胶体晶体;其次,将液态前驱体填充到胶体晶体的间隙,并在原位转化为固体骨架;最后,将微球去除,在原来微球间的空隙位置得到固体骨架,原来微球占据的位置则成为相互连接的孔穴。其中,胶体晶体模板的组装、前驱体的填充以及模板的去除都是制备3DOM复合氧化物的关键影响因素。本文针对这几个控制因素对胶体晶体模板法制备3DOM复合氧化物的影响进行了概述,并对孔结构的表征以及材料在催化和电极材料等方面的应用作了简单介绍。     

Synthesis of porous carbon balls from spherical colloidal crystal templates

Spherical inverse opal (IO) porous carbon was produced utilizing silica colloidal crystal spheres as templates. The spherical colloidal crystals were obtained through the self-assembly of monodisperse particles inside an emulsion droplet with confined geometry. The templates were inverted using a carbon precursor, phenol-formaldehyde (PF) resol. We demonstrated a two-step synthesis involving the subsequent infiltration of the PF resol precursor into the spherical colloidal crystal template and a one-step synthesis using a silica colloidal solution containing dissolved PF resol. In the former case, the sizes of the IO carbon balls were controlled by the size of the colloidal crystal templates, and diameters of a few micrometers up to 50 μm were obtained. The average diameter of the macropores created by the silica particles was 230 nm. Moreover, meso-/macroporous IO carbon balls were created using block-copolymer templates in the PF resol. In the one-step synthesis, the concentration of PF resol in the colloidal solution controlled the diameter of the IO carbon balls. IO balls smaller than 3 μm were obtained from the direct addition of 5% PF resol. The one-step synthesis produced rather irregular porous structures reflecting the less ordered crystallization processes inside the spherical colloidal crystals. Nitrogen adsorption and cyclic voltammetry measurements were conducted to measure the specific area and electroactive surface area of the IO carbon balls. The specific area of the mesopores-incorporated IO carbon balls was 1.3 times higher than that of bare IO carbon balls. Accordingly, the meso-/macroporous porous carbon balls exhibited higher electrocatalytic properties than the macroporous carbon balls.     

Synthesis of spherical polymer and titania photonic crystallites

The fabrication of small structured spherical particles that are essentially small photonic crystals is described. The particles are 1-50 microm in diameter and are porous with nearly close-packed monodisperse pores whose size is comparable to the wavelength of light. The solid matrix of the particles is titania, which provides a large refractive index contrast between the particle matrix and pores. The particles are made by encapsulating polymer colloidal particles in emulsion droplets of hexanes in which a titanium alkoxide precursor is dissolved. Subsequent osmotic removal of the hexanes from the droplets and condensation of the alkoxide precursor leads to spherical aggregates of polymer spheres with titania filling the spaces between the polymer spheres. The polymer particles are then burned out leaving behind the desired porous titania particles. The size and structure of the pores and high refractive index of the titania matrix are expected to produce particles that are very efficient scatterers of light, making them useful as pigments.     

Capillary condensation hysteresis in overlapping spherical pores: a monte carlo simulation study

The mechanisms of hysteretic phase transformations in fluids confined to porous bodies depend on the size and shape of pores, as well as their connectivity. We present a Monte Carlo simulation study of capillary condensation and evaporation cycles in the course of Lennard-Jones fluid adsorption in the system of overlapping spherical pores. This model system mimics pore shape and connectivity in some mesoporous materials obtained by templating cubic surfactant mesophases or colloidal crystals. We show different mechanisms of capillary hysteresis depending on the size of the window between the pores. For the system with a small window, the hysteresis cycle is similar to that in a single spherical pore: capillary condensation takes place upon achieving the limit of stability of adsorption film and evaporation is triggered by cavitation. When the window is large enough, the capillary condensation shifts to a pressure higher than that of the isolated pore, and the possibility for the equilibrium mechanism of desorption is revealed. These finding may have important implications for practical problems of assessment of the pore size distributions in mesoporous materials with cagelike pore networks.     

聚合物孔材料的制备*

聚合物孔材料的制备和应用研究已经成为聚合物科学和材料科学热点,制备聚合物孔材料的方法发展很快。本文综述了聚合物孔材料的制备方法,包括胶体晶模版法、水模版法、超临界二氧化碳发泡法、自组装法等。其中本课题组首次提出的无模版自组装法操作简单、无需模版、环境友好,具有广阔的发展前景。     

胶粒晶体模板法制备三维有序大孔材料

使用胶粒模板法制备三维有序大孔材料（three-dimensional ordered macroporous material,3DOM）是一个快速发展的领域。本文综述了3DOM的合成技术,包括各种填充模板的方法、模板的去除方法以及它们在光子晶体、催化材料、生物传感器以及医学等方面的应用前景。     

Hierarchical porous materials made by drying complex suspensions

Porous structures containing pores at different length scales are often encountered in nature and are important in many applications. While several processing routes have been demonstrated to create such hierarchical porous materials, most methods either require chemical gelation reactions or do not allow for the desired control of pore sizes over multiple length scales. We describe a versatile and simple approach to produce tailor-made hierarchical porous materials that relies solely on the process of drying. Our results show that simple drying of a complex suspension can lead to the self-assembly of droplets, colloidal particles and molecular species into unique 3D hierarchical porous structures. Using a microfluidic device to produce monodisperse templating droplets of tunable size, we prepared materials with up to three levels of hierarchy exhibiting monodisperse pores ranging from 10 nm to 800 μm. While the size of macropores obtained after drying is determined by the size of initial droplets, the interconnectivity between macropores is strongly affected by the type of droplet stabilizer (surfactants or particles). This simple route can be used to prepare porous materials of many chemical compositions and has great potential for creating artificial porous structures that capture some of the exquisite hierarchical features of porous biological materials.     

New directions in self-assembly:: materials synthesis over ‘all’ length scales

Recent advances in self-assembly include novel synthetic pathways to well-ordered porous materials with channel and cavity dimensions that traverse multiple length scales. A creative amalgamation of surfactant and colloidal crystal templating methods together with microfabrication techniques allow unprecedented control over the organization of inorganic and organic building units and the construction of angstrom to millimeter composite architectures. These structurally and topologically complex solids display hierarchical building principles and properties that transcend those of the individual components. Possible utility for materials of this genre include, fuel cell electrodes, solid state battery electrolytes and plasticizers, chemical sensors, photovoltaics, bone implants, membranes, chromatography supports and chemical delivery systems.     

Macroporous Au materials prepared from colloidal crystals as templates

In this paper, we reported the preparation of macroporous Au materials using organic colloidal crystals as templates and their catalytic activity for electroless copper deposition. The poly(styrene-methyl methacrylate-acrylic acid) (P(St-MMA-AA)) copolymer colloids were deposited in an orderly manner onto the silicon surface, together with the infiltration of the Au nanoparticles into the interspaces of the colloids. The formed hybrid colloidal crystal subsequently was sintered at approximately 550 degrees C to remove the organic components fully to obtain a macroporous Au framework with three-dimensional ordered porous structure. The pore diameter was around 310 nm and almost monodisperse. It was demonstrated that the macroporous Au materials exhibit catalytic activity and can induce electroless copper deposition.     

钇掺杂有序大孔TiO_2微球的制备与光催化性能研究

采用溶胶-凝胶法、胶体晶体模板法制备了钇掺杂有序多孔TiO2微球,利用FTIR,SEM,XRD,XPS,UV-V is分析对其进行表征,并研究钇掺杂前后材料的光催化性能。结果表明:钇掺杂有序多孔TiO2微球规整致密,但局部有孔洞的塌陷。钇掺杂前后有序多孔TiO2微球的晶型没有改变,仍为锐钛矿型。XPS分析发现钇掺杂有序多孔TiO2微球是可行的,材料中含有钇元素含量约为1.0%。UV-V is分析表明钇掺杂使得TiO2吸收光红移至可见光区,甲基橙降解实验显示掺钇有序多孔TiO2微球的光催化性能好于未掺钇TiO2的光催化性能。     

On-surface synthesis of porous graphene nanoribbons containing nonplanar [14]annulene pores

The precise introduction of nonplanar pores in the backbone of graphene nanoribbon represents a great challenge. Here, we explore a synthetic strategy toward the preparation of nonplanar porous graphene nanoribbon from a predesigned dibromohexabenzotetracene monomer bearing four cove-edges. Successive thermal annealing steps of the monomers indicate that the dehalogenative aryl-aryl homocoupling yields a twisted polymer precursor on a gold surface and the subsequent cyclodehydrogenation leads to a defective porous graphene nanoribbon containing nonplanar [14]annulene pores and five-membered rings as characterized by scanning tunneling microscopy and noncontact atomic force microscopy. Although the C–C bonds producing [14]annulene pores are not achieved with high yield, our results provide new synthetic perspectives for the on-surface growth of nonplanar porous graphene nanoribbons.     

作为锂离子电池负极材料的三维有序大孔SnO2的 制备及表征

通过聚苯乙烯(PS)胶晶模板法合成了三维有序大孔(3DOM) SnO2. 运用扫描电镜、热重分析、X射线衍射、电化学充放电等多种方法对其结构和性能进行了表征和研究. SEM图表明PS胶晶模板微球排列规整, 大小均匀(直径275±10 nm), 形成多层六方紧密堆积排列; 煅烧除去模板后的3DOM SnO2呈三维多孔网络结构, 具有圆型和六边形的孔隙形貌, 其孔径大小为(215±10) nm; 孔壁由SnO2纳米晶粒组成, 壁厚为20～30 nm. XRD图谱表明经过煅烧除去模板后, 形成了纯SnO2相. 当作为锂离子电池负极材料时, 3DOM SnO2表现出较好的充放电容量和库仑效率. 此外, 这种合成方法简单、经济, 可进一步应用于其它锂离子电池材料的合成.     

Research Progress in Covalent Organic Frameworks for Photoluminescent Materials

Covalent organic frameworks (COFs) are an emerging kind of crystalline porous polymers that present the precise integration of organic building blocks into extensible structures with regular pores and periodic skeletons. The diversity of organic units and covalent linkages makes COFs a rising materials platform for the design of structure and functionality. Herein, recent research progress in developing COFs for photoluminescent materials is summarised. Structural and functional design strategies are highlighted and fundamental problems that need to be solved are identified, in conjunction with potential applications from perspectives of photoluminescent materials.     

3D‐Printing of Functionally Graded Porous Materials Using On‐Demand Reconfigurable Microfluidics

Tailoring the morphology of macroporous structures remains one of the biggest challenges in material synthesis. Herein, we present an innovative approach for the fabrication of custom macroporous materials in which pore size varies throughout the structure by up to an order of magnitude. We employed a valve‐based flow‐focusing junction (vFF) in which the size of the orifice can be adjusted in real‐time (within tens of milliseconds) to generate foams with on‐line controlled bubble size. We used the junction to fabricate layered and smoothly graded porous structures with pore size varying in the range of 80–800 μm. Additionally, we mounted the vFF on top of an extrusion printer and 3D‐printed constructs characterized by a predefined 3D geometry and a controlled, spatially varying internal porous architecture, such as a model of a bone. The presented technology opens new possibilities in macroporous material synthesis with potential applications ranging from tissue engineering to aerospace industry and construction.     

聚苯乙烯光子晶体的制备及其在传感中的应用

以基于毛细作用的垂直沉积法将单分散的二氧化硅胶体微球自组装成光子晶体．在二氧化硅光子晶体的多孔结构里填充聚苯乙烯甲苯溶液,经甲苯挥发,通过氢氟酸处理去除二氧化硅模板,制备出精美的聚苯乙烯光子晶体．研究表明：保留了模板有序多孔结构的聚苯乙烯能被用来作为敏感膜,这使得其在基于折射率变化的传感应用中具有潜在的价值．     

Fabrication of Porous Titania Particles from Water-in-Oil Emulsions for the Applications of Photocatalyst

In this study, polystyrene nanospheres were synthesized by dispersion polymerization using batch-type reactor for the self-organization with precursor materials inside emulsion droplets. Mechanical homogenization was applied for the emulsification of the polymeric nanospheres and titanium diisopropoxide bis (acetylacetonate) to produce the macroporous titania particles by evaporation-driven self-assembly. Similarly, spherical titania crystallites could be synthesized via self-organization using triblock copolymer instead of polymeric latex beads after successive calcination. The morphologies of the porous particles were observed using electron microscope, and the crystallinity of the porous titania particles was analyzed by powder x-ray diffraction. As a demonstrative application, the macroporous titania microparticles with anatase phase were adopted as photocatalyst for the decomposition of Rhodamine B, and excellent catalytic performance was observed with higher rate constant compared to the result from commercial titania nanocolloid. Collectively, our macroporous titania microparticles were found to be safe catalytic materials for human body minimizing the skin toxicity since the size of the catalysts is in the micron-range.