One-dimensional nanopore composites and their arrays make important progress

With the support of the National Natural Science Foundation of China, Yang Zhenzhong, a researcher of the State Key Laboratory of Polymer Physics and Chemistry, Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, and Prof. Lu Yunfeng of Tulane University in the United States have made significant progress in the field of one-dimensional nanopore composite materials and their arrays. They used a porous membrane as a template, combined with the self-assembly process of inorganic sol/gel and block copolymer to prepare a one-dimensional nanopore structure of silica fibers and tubes and their array system. By controlling the wettability of the template pore surface and the concentration of the block copolymer, controlled morphologies of the product morphology and nanopore structure can be achieved. In the micropores of the nanopore and hollow tube, functional substances are respectively compounded, and the properties of the nanopore and the functionality of the substance are combined, and a series of novel functional structures and materials will be derived, such as the introduction of semiconductor titanium dioxide in the cavity. The new one-dimensional nanocomposite structure opens up new ideas and methods for the preparation of functionalized composite nanowires.
The study of nanoporous ordered materials has been developed since 1992, mainly focusing on the two aspects of the film and microspheres. It has made important progress in the composition of materials, preparation methods, and microstructure control. However, the research on one-dimensional nanopore structure and its arrays is still a challenging field. Research team led by researcher Yang Zhenzhong has succeeded in preparing one-dimensional nanoporous silica fibers and tubes on the basis of the preparation of template technology for the core/shell composite fibers. This method is also advantageous in that the aspect ratio of the product and the array structure are easy to control. The research results were published in the internationally renowned journal "German Applied Chemistry" on September 15, 2003. Relevant experts believe that "is a significant new method for the preparation of meso-ordered materials" and "conceptual important ideas."