Thermally stable crystalline mesoporous metal oxides with substantially uniform pores

A method for preparing a thermally stable crystalline mesoporous metal oxide comprising the steps of:

• (a) providing a block copolymer/metal oxide solution, wherein the block copolymer comprises a hydrophobic portion comprising sp or sp2 hybridized carbon atoms in each monomer unit, or
• providing a colloidal assembly of polystyrene beads/metal oxide, wherein the polystyrene beads comprise a hydrophobic portion comprising sp or sp2 hybridized carbon atoms in each monomer unit;
• (b) casting the solution or the colloidal assembly in air resulting in the formation of a polymer-metal oxide hybrid;
• (c) heating the polymer metal oxide hybrid in an inert atmosphere to a temperature of about 700° C. for at least 2 hours resulting in the formation of a porous crystalline metal oxide-carbon composite;
• and
• (d) following the heating step, removing the carbon by heating the composite in air at a temperature in the range of about 400° C. to 700° C. for a time sufficient to result in the formation of a thermally stable mesoporous metal oxide.

A method for preparing thermally stable crystalline mesoporous metal oxide comprising the steps of:

• (a) providing a block copolymer/metal oxide solution, wherein the block copolymer comprises a hydrophobic portion comprising sp or sp2 hybridized carbon atoms in each monomer unit, or
• providing a colloidal assembly of polystyrene beads/metal oxide, wherein the polystyrene beads comprise a hydrophobic portion comprising sp or sp2 hybridized carbon atoms in each monomer unit;
• wherein the metal oxide comprises a metal oxide selected from the group consisting of a Group IV oxide and a Group V oxide;
• (b) casting the solution or the colloidal assembly in air resulting in the formation of a polymer-metal oxide hybrid;
• (c) heating the polymer metal oxide hybrid in an inert atmosphere to a temperature of about 700° C. for at least 2 hours resulting in the formation of a porous crystalline metal oxide-carbon composite;
• and
• (d) following the heating step, removing the carbon by heating the composite in air, resulting in the formation of a thermally stable mesoporous metal oxide.

A method for preparing thermally stable crystalline mesoporous metal oxide comprising the steps of:

• (a) providing a block copolymer/metal oxide solution, wherein the block copolymer comprises a hydrophobic portion comprising sp or sp2 hybridized carbon atoms in each monomer unit, or
• providing a colloidal assembly of polystyrene beads/metal oxide, wherein the polystyrene beads comprise a hydrophobic portion comprising sp or sp2 hybridized carbon atoms in each monomer unit;
• (b) casting the solution or the colloidal assembly in air resulting in the formation of a polymer-metal oxide hybrid;
• (c) heating the polymer-metal oxide hybrid in an inert atmosphere to a temperature of about 700° C. for at least 2 hours resulting in the formation of a porous crystalline metal oxide-carbon composite;
• and
• (d) following the heating step, removing the carbon by heating the composite in air at a temperature in the range of about 400° C. to 700° C. for a time sufficient to result in the formation of a thermally stable mesoporous metal oxide.

A method for preparing a thermally stable mesoporous titanium oxide comprising the steps of:

• (a) providing a block copolymer/titanium oxide solvent solution, wherein the block copolymer comprises a hydrophobic portion comprising sp or sp2 hybridized carbon atoms in each monomer unit, or
• providing a colloidal assembly of polystyrene beads/titanium oxide, wherein the polystyrene beads comprise a hydrophobic portion comprising sp or sp2 hybridized carbon atoms in each monomer unit;
• (b) casting the solution or the colloidal assembly in air resulting in the formation of a polymer-titanium oxide hybrid;
• (c) heating the polymer-titanium oxide hybrid in an inert atmosphere at a temperature of about 700° C. for at least 2 hours resulting in crystallization of the titanium oxide and conversion of the block copolymer to amorphous carbon;
• and
• (d) following the heating step, removing the carbon by heating in air at about 400° C. to 700° C. resulting in the formation of a thermally stable mesoporous titanium oxide.

A method for preparing a thermally stable mesoporous niobium oxide comprising the steps of:

• (a) providing a block copolymer/niobium oxide solution, wherein the block copolymer comprises a hydrophobic portion comprising sp or sp2 hybridized carbon atoms in each monomer unit, or
• providing a colloidal assembly of polystyrene beads/niobium oxide, wherein the polystyrene beads comprise a hydrophobic portion comprising sp or sp 2 hybridized carbon atoms in each monomer unit;
• (b) casting the solution or the colloidal assembly in air resulting in the formation of a polymer-metal niobium oxide hybrid;
• (c) heating the polymer-niobium oxide hybrid in an inert atmosphere at a temperature of about 700° C. for at least 2 hours resulting in crystallization of the niobium oxide and conversion of the block copolymer to amorphous carbon;
• and
• (d) following the heating step, removing the carbon by heating in air at about 400° C. to 700° C. resulting in the formation of a thermally stable mesoporous niobium oxide.

A method for preparing a thermally stable crystalline mesoporous transition metal oxide comprising the steps of:

• (a) providing a block copolymer/transition metal oxide solution , wherein the block copolymer comprises a hydrophobic portion comprising sp or sp2 hybridized carbon atoms in each monomer unit, or
• providing a colloidal assembly of polystyrene beads/transition metal oxide, wherein the polystyrene beads comprise a hydrophobic portion comprising sp or sp2 hybridized carbon atoms in each monomer unit;
• (b) casting the solution or the colloidal assembly in air resulting in the formation of a polymer-transition metal oxide hybrid;
• (c) heating the polymer-transition metal oxide hybrid in an inert atmosphere to a temperature of about 700° C. for at least 2 hours resulting in the formation of a porous crystalline transition metal oxide-carbon composite;
• and
• (d) following the heating step, removing the carbon by heating the composite in air, resulting in the formation of a thermally stable mesoporous transition metal oxide.

A method for preparing a crystalline metal oxide-carbon composite comprising the steps of:

• (a) providing a block copolymer/metal oxide solution wherein the block copolymer comprises a hydrophobic portion comprising sp or sp2 hybridized carbon atoms in each monomer unit, or
• providing a colloidal assembly of polystyrene beads/metal oxide, wherein the polystyrene beads comprise a hydrophobic portion comprising sp or sp2 hybridized carbon atoms in each monomer unit;
• (b) casting the solution or the colloidal assembly in air resulting in the formation of a polymer-metal oxide hybrid;
• and
• (c) heating the polymer metal oxide hybrid in an inert atmosphere to a temperature of about 700° C. for at least 2 hours resulting in the formation of a porous crystalline metal oxide-carbon composite in which an amorphous carbonaceous material lines the walls of the resulting mesopores.

A method for preparing a nanostructured inorganic/ceramic-transition metal oxide composite comprising the steps of:

• (a) providing a block copolymer/metal oxide solution wherein the block copolymer comprises a hydrophobic portion which transforms upon heating into an inorganic/ceramic, or
• providing a colloidal assembly of polystyrene beads/metal oxide, wherein the polystyrene beads comprise a hydrophobic portion which transforms upon heating into an inorganic/ceramic;
• (b) casting the solution or the colloidal assembly in air resulting in the formation of a polymer-metal oxide hybrid;
• and
• (c) heating the polymer metal oxide hybrid in an inert atmosphere to a temperature of about 700° C. for at least 2 hours resulting in the formation of a nanostructured inorganic/ceramic-transition metal oxide composite.