BLUEPRINTS FOR INORGANIC MATERIALS WITH NATURAL FORM - INORGANIC LIQUID-CRYSTALS AND A LANGUAGE OF INORGANIC SHAPE

The form problem in biomineralization and biomimetic inorganic materia ls chemistry is morphogenesis, the origin and control of shape. In thi s article, an overview of an inorganic liquid crystal based paradigm f or constructing inorganic shape is provided. The synthesis of mesoporo us silica and mesolamellar aluminophosphate morphologies with 'natural ' form is presented. Macroscale shapes and patterns of these materials result from the polymerization, curvature and growth of a silicate li quid crystal mesophase or a phosphate liquid crystal microemulsion. Re cent novel examples, such as, micelle templated oriented mesoporous si lica films, self-assembled monolayer patterned mesoporous silica, vesi cle templated macroporous silica and mesoporous silica molded polymer mesofibres that exploit this paradigm of synthesizing shape are also p resented. The time is right to explore morphogenesis in order to provi de advanced materials where control of structure over all length scale s determines properties and function.