Nanoporous Structures by Colloidal Co-Assembly

Mixtures of colloidal particles are used to form patterned structures with pores on several different length scales. The structures are formed by self-assembly as the particles dry on a surface. By filling in the interstices between the particles, nanoporous structures are formed, and by using mixtures of different sizes, multiscale structures are formed. These structures might serve as useful substrates for catalytic processes for green chemistry.