Chemists at the University of Munich, Germany, have made a new porous material that can be dehydrated with no structural effects.

Svetlana Mintova and her colleagues prepared their colloidal nanosized aluminophosphate by using microwaves to irradiate a solution containing Al₂O₃ and P₂O₅ in a specific ratio; changing this ratio resulted in other previously reported materials being formed. Interestingly, the aluminophosphate can be dehydrated with no change to the material?s structure.

Discussing the future challenges in this work Mintova comments, ?once control over the synthesis of colloidal (nanosized) materials with respect to structure, morphology and size is established, they can be utilised for the preparation of two- and three-dimensional constructs such as films, spheres, fibres, etc.

'These porous films, with controlled properties, can be applied as microsensors or could be used for semiconductor applications. In addition, the colloidal porous materials could serve as a host for photochemical or optically active guests for constructing novel nanoscale functionalised materials.

Caroline Evans