Silica membranes having macrochannels with mesoporous walls were spontaneously fabricated using a self-organized process with rapid gelation of concentrated silicate and surfactant precursor solutions.

Supermicroporous silicas having micropores 1−2 nm in diameter were miniaturized to 30−40 nm in diameter using a combination of binary organic agents: cationic surfactant as a porogen and polyethylene glycol as a growth suppressor in a concentrated system. The miniaturized nanograins of the porous silica were effective as a porous and transparent matrix for WO 3 quantum dots that exhibit enhanced photocatalytic activity.

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