Evidence for the Importance of a Cationic Charge in the Formation of Hollow Fiber Silica from an Organic Gel System

To obtain an insight into the mechanism for the construction of novel hollow fiber silica ("macaroni silica"), sot-gel polymerization oftetraethoxysilane was carried out in the organic gels prepared in the presence of a bcnzo-18-crown-6-containing cholesterol gelator Hollow fiber silica was obtained only in the Apresence of the high concentration ofKCIO(4) The findings support the view that the cationic charge plays a role indispensable to the construction of the tubular structure.