Formation of ordered macropores and templated nanopores in silica sol–gel system incorporated with EO–PO–EO triblock copolymer

Silica gels with well-defined co-continuous gel skeletons and pore in the micrometer range have been prepared using a poly(ethylene oxide–propylene oxide–ethylene oxide (EO–PO–EO)) triblock copolymer. Being essentially independent of the micrometer-range structure, the mesopore exhibited narrow distributions around an identical median size and its volume was correlated well to the concentration of triblock copolymer. Small-angle neutron scattering of wet, dried and heat-treated gels revealed that the mesopore structure had been already templated at the sol–gel transition, and was preserved or even enhanced during the removal of solvent and carbonaceous constituents.