(521b) Nanoporous Array-Based Inorganic Materials Via Molecular Self-Assembly Templated Processing

Sol-gel chemistry and processing, in combination with molecular block-copolymer templating, could become a powerful scalable, bottom-up approach for chemical manufacturing of diversified organic-inorganic hybrids and nanoporous/mesoporous nanomaterials. However, the production of self-assembled nanostructures is usually limited in achievable sizes of ordered domains and a lack of control in nanopore orientation. This paper will present new paradigms of ?engineering nanoprocesses? for controlled production of new material nanostructures having desired pore size and orientation by applying process engineering and molecular engineering principles into several sol-gel synthesis processes. With the achievement of engineered chemical processing of materials at nanoscale, we have created new nanoscale materials, i.e., inorganic membranes and nanowires that contain high ordered arrays of oriented nanoporous channels. Some potential impacts of array-based nanomaterials on applications (e.g., fuel cells, solar cells, gas separations, catalysis, electronics, sensors/detectors) will be discussed.