Use of amphiphilic triblock copolymers to direct the organization of polymerizing silica species has resulted in the preparation of well-ordered hexagonal mesoporous silica structures (SBA-15) with uniform pore sizes up to approximately 300 angstroms. The SBA-15 materials are synthesized in acidic media to produce highly ordered, two-dimensional hexagonal (space group p6mm) silica-block copolymer mesophases. Calcination at 500 degrees C gives porous structures with unusually large interlattice d spacings of 74.5 to 320 angstroms between the (100) planes, pore sizes from 46 to 300 angstroms, pore volume fractions up to 0.85, and silica wall thicknesses of 31 to 64 angstroms. SBA-15 can be readily prepared over a wide range of uniform pore sizes and pore wall thicknesses at low temperature (35 degrees to 80 degrees C), using a variety of poly(alkylene oxide) triblock copolymers and by the addition of cosolvent organic molecules. The block copolymer species can be recovered for reuse by solvent extraction with ethanol or removed by heating at 140 degrees C for 3 hours, in both cases, yielding a product that is thermally stable in boiling water.

A family of highly ordered mesoporous (20−300 Å) silica structures have been synthesized by the use of commercially available nonionic alkyl poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) oligomeric surfactants and poly(alkylene oxide) block copolymers in acid media. Periodic arrangements of mescoscopically ordered pores with cubic Im3̄m, cubic Pm3̄m (or others), 3-d hexagonal (P63/mmc), 2-d hexagonal (p6mm), and lamellar (Lα) symmetries have been prepared. Under acidic conditions at room temperature, the nonionic oligomeric surfactants frequently form cubic or 3-d hexagonal mesoporous silica structures, while the nonionic triblock copolymers tend to form hexagonal (p6mm) mesoporous silica structures. A cubic mesoporous silica structure (SBA-11) with Pm3̄m diffraction symmetry has been synthesized in the presence of C16H33(OCH2CH2)10OH (C16EO10) surfactant species, while a 3-d hexagonal (P63/mmc) mesoporous silica structure (SBA-12) results when C18EO10 is used. Surfactants with short EO segments tend to form lamellar mesostructured silica at room temperature. Hexagonal mesoporous silica structures with d(100) spacings of 64−77 Å can be synthesized at 100 °C by using oligomeric nonionic surfactants. Highly ordered hexagonal mesoporous silica structures (SBA-15) with unusually large d(100) spacings of 104−320 Å have been synthesized in the presence of triblock poly(ethylene oxide)−poly(propylene oxide)−poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO−PPO−PEO) copolymers. SBA-15 mesoporous structures have been prepared with BET surface areas of 690−1040 m2/g, pore sizes of 46−300 Å, silica wall thicknesses of 31−64 Å, and pore volumes as large as 2.5 cm3/g. A novel cubic (Im3̄m) cage-structured mesoporous silica structure (SBA-16) with a large cell parameter (a = 176 Å) has been synthesized using triblock copolymers with large PEO segments. The EO/PO ratio of the copolymers can be used to control the formation of the silica mesophase:  lowering this ratio of the triblock copolymer moieties promotes the formation of lamellar mesostructured silica, while higher ratios favor cubic mesostructured silica. Cubic mesoporous structures are also obtained when star diblock copolymers are used as structure-directing agents. The calcined ordered mesoporous silicas reported in this paper are thermally stable in boiling water for at least 48 h. The assembly of the inorganic and organic periodic composite materials appears to take place by a hydrogen bonding (S0 H+)(X-I+) pathway. The assembly rate r increases with increasing concentration of [H+] and [Cl-], according to the kinetic expression r = k[H+]0.31[Cl-]0.31.

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Carbon materials have attracted intense interests as electrode materials for electrochemical capacitors, because of their high surface area, electrical conductivity, chemical stability and low cost. Activated carbons produced by different activation processes from various precursors are the most widely used electrodes. Recently, with the rapid growth of nanotechnology, nanostructured electrode materials, such as carbon nanotubes and template-synthesized porous carbons have been developed. Their unique electrical properties and well controlled pore sizes and structures facilitate fast ion and electron transportation. In order to further improve the power and energy densities of the capacitors, carbon-based composites combining electrical double layer capacitors (EDLC)-capacitance and pseudo-capacitance have been explored. They show not only enhanced capacitance, but as well good cyclability. In this review, recent progresses on carbon-based electrode materials are summarized, including activated carbons, carbon nanotubes, and template-synthesized porous carbons, in particular mesoporous carbons. Their advantages and disadvantages as electrochemical capacitors are discussed. At the end of this review, the future trends of electrochemical capacitors with high energy and power are proposed.