University of Southampton

George Simon Attard

Philip Nigel Bartlett

John Robert Owen

Christine Goeltner

Joanne Elliott

A method of preparing a porous film comprises electrodepositing material from a mixture onto a substrate, the mixture comprising: (I) a source of metal, inorganic oxide, non-oxide semiconductor/conductor or organic polymer, (II) a solvent such as water; and (III) a structure-directing agent such as octaethylene glycol monododecyl ether in an amount sufficient to form an homogeneous lyotropic liquid crystalline phase in the mixture. Electrodepositing the film from a lyotropic liquid phase in this manner provides a porous film having a substantially regular structure and substantially uniform pore size. Following deposition, the porous film may be treated to remove the structure-directing agent. The porous film may optionally be subjected to further treatment such as the electrochemical or chemical insertion of ionic species, the physical absorption of organic, inorganic or organometallic species, or the electrodeposition, solution phase deposition or gas phase deposition of organic, inorganic or organometallic species.

Method of electrodepositing a porous film

A method of preparing a porous metal comprises reducing a mixture comprising (I) a source of metal; (II) a solvent such as water; and (III) a structure-directing agent such as octaethylene glycol monododecyl ether to form a liquid crystalline phase in the mixture. The reduction of the mixture having a liquid crystalline phase, for example using zinc metal as reducing agent, provides a porous film having a substantially regular structure and substantially uniform pore size.

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Southampton, United Kingdom

George Simon Attard