Materials combining an asymmetric pore structure with mesopores everywhere enable high surface area accessibility and fast transport, making them attractive for e.g., energy conversion and storage applications. Block copolymer (BCP)/inorganic precursor co‐assembly combined with non‐solvent induced phase separation (NIPS) provides a route to materials in which a mesoporous top surface layer merges into an asymmetric support with graded porosity along the film normal and mesopores throughout. Here, the co‐assembly and non‐solvent‐induced phase separation (CNIPS) of poly(isoprene)‐
Mesoporous inorganic particles and hollow spheres are of increasing interest for a broad range of applications, but synthesis approaches are typically material specific, complex, or lack control over desired structures. Here it is reported how combining mesoscale block copolymer (BCP) directed inorganic materials self‐assembly and macroscale spinodal decomposition can be employed in multicomponent BCP/hydrophilic inorganic precursor blends with homopolymers to prepare mesoporous inorganic particles with controlled meso‐ and macrostructures. The homogeneous multicomponent blend solution undergoes dual phase separation upon solvent evaporation. Microphase‐separated (BCP/inorganic precursor)‐domains are confined within the macrophase‐separated majority homopolymer matrix, being self‐organized toward particle shapes that minimize the total interfacial area/energy. The pore orientation and particle shape (solid spheres, oblate ellipsoids, hollow spheres) are tailored by changing the kind of homopolymer matrix and associated enthalpic interactions. Furthermore, the sizes of particle and hollow inner cavity are tailored by changing the relative amount of homopolymer matrix and the rates of solvent evaporation. Pyrolysis yields discrete mesoporous inorganic particles and hollow spheres. The present approach enables a high degree of control over pore structure, orientation, and size (15–44 nm), particle shape, particle size (0.6–3 µm), inner cavity size (120–700 nm), and chemical composition (e.g., aluminosilicates, carbon, and metal oxides).
more » « less- Award ID(s):
- 1707836
- NSF-PAR ID:
- 10062560
- Publisher / Repository:
- Wiley Blackwell (John Wiley & Sons)
- Date Published:
- Journal Name:
- Advanced Materials
- Volume:
- 30
- Issue:
- 27
- ISSN:
- 0935-9648
- Format(s):
- Medium: X
- Sponsoring Org:
- National Science Foundation
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