We report a nanoscale "lost-wax" method for forming colloids with size dist
ributions around 5% and their corresponding colloidal crystals. Macroporous
polymer templates are first prepared from a silica colloidal crystal. We t
hen use the uniform and interconnected voids of the porous polymer:to gener
ate a wide variety of highly monodisperse inorganic, polymeric, and metalli
c solid and core-shell colloids, as well as hollow colloids with controllab
le shell thickness, as colloidal crystals. We can also uniformly deform the
polymer template to alter colloidal shape and demonstrate the formation of
elliptical particles with precisely controlled aspect ratios.