Fabrication of continuous mesoporous carbon films with face-centered orthorhombic symmetry through a soft templating pathway

Preparation of well-ordered continuous mesoporous carbon films without the use of an intermediate inorganic template was achieved by spin coating of a thermosetting phenolic resin, resorcinol/phloroglucinol/formaldehyde, and a thermally-decomposable organic template, Pluronic F127 (PEO106–PPO70–PEO106). The carbon films were deposited onto silicon, platinum/silicon, copper, glass, and quartz substrates. Afterwards, decomposition of the organic template and solidification of the carbon precursors are simultaneously performed through a carbonization process. The resulting films referred to as CKU-F69, are (010)-oriented, and possess a face-centered orthorhombic Fmmm symmetry. Film periodicity is maintained even after a 68% uniaxial contraction perpendicular to the substrate brought on by carbonization at 800 °C. This method could facilitate the mass-production and creation of new carbon and carbon–polymer porous films that find broad potential applications in catalysis, separation, hydrogen storage, bioengineering, nanodevices, and nanotemplates

Mesophase Control of Mesoporous Silica Thin Films by Vapor-phase Preparation

Highly ordered mesoporous silica thin films with c2mm rectangular and R3m rhombohedral symmetry have been synthesized on a silicon substrate by a vapor-phase method using PEO106–PPO70–PEO106 triblock copolymer as a templating agent