Rodlike silica and titania objects templated on extremely dilute aqueous dispersions of self-assembled sodium lithocholate nanotubes.
Simple methods for preparation of mesoporous rodlike silica and titania nanoobjects, some with exceedingly high aspect ratios, are described. They involve hydrolytic sol-gel processes using nanotubes from aqueous assemblies of very dilute (0.1 wt%) sodium lithocholate as templates. Shearing of the lithocholate nanotubes results in aligned, templated silica rods. The relative rates of lithocholate self-assembly and of polymerization of the titania precursors, especially, appear to be important factors in templating efficiency.
Huang
Xiao
X
Department of Chemistry, Georgetown University, 37th and O Street, N.W., Washington, DC 20057-1227, USA.
Weiss
Richard G
RG