Innovative nanoporous materials: metal-aluminophosphates

Nanostructured materials are made by highly disordered powders with large distribution of particle size, morphologies and structures. They are classically nanoparticles of oxides, metals or supported metals. Microporous and mesoporous materials offer new trends in that it is possible to confine particles of oxides or metals into their channel or cavities and control, in this way, their size. In this contribution, we present an overview on different types of materials able to host metals or oxides and in particular, we focus on crystalline metal-aluminophosphates (MeAPOs). These materials have, beside active centres for selective catalytic reactions, peculiar properties that depend both on the incorporated metal ions and on the structure of the aluminophosphate.