Mesoporous organic polymers obtained by "twostep nanocasting"

Mesoporous organic networks with well-defined nanostructure are obtained by polymerization within the interconnective pore system of a mesoporous sili ca monolith. The resulting interpenetrating networks were freed of the inor ganic matter; the residue is a polymer network representing a cast of the i norganic mold. The materials were characterized by transmission electron mi croscopy, small-angle X-ray diffraction, thermogravimetric analysis, and sc anning electron microscopy. This multistep nanocasting procedure does not o nly confirm the homogeneity, connectivity, and morphology of the inorganic mold, but it also affords porous polymer networks which are interesting in their own right. So far it is the only way of achieving mesoporosity in org anic polymers by direct templating.