Blueprints for inorganic materials with natural form: inorganic liquid crystals and a language of inorganic shape †

Abstract

The form problem in biomineralization and biomimetic inorganic materials chemistry is morphogenesis, the origin and control of shape. In this article, an overview of an inorganic liquid crystal based paradigm for constructing inorganic shape is provided. The synthesis of mesoporous silica and mesolamellar aluminophosphate morphologies with ‘natural’ form is presented. Macroscale shapes and patterns of these materials result from the polymerization, curvature and growth of a silicate liquid crystal mesophase or a phosphate liquid crystal microemulsion. Recent novel examples, such as, micelle templated oriented mesoporous silica films, self-assembled monolayer patterned mesoporous silica, vesicle templated macroporous silica and mesoporous silica molded polymer mesofibres that exploit this paradigm of synthesizing shape are also presented. The time is right to explore morphogenesis in order to provide advanced materials where control of structure over all length scales determines properties and function.