Projektnummer

0050688

Zusammenfassung

Although silica is by far the most abundant compound in the earth crust, only a minor part, such as sand or clay, can be applied in industry directly or after refining. For most commercial, and specific applications of silica such as filling materials, molecular sieves, catalyst supports, ion-exchange materials, or abrasives, very precisely defined porous structures and surface properties are needed. The silicified cell walls of diatoms are one of the most outstanding examples of nanoscale-structured materials in nature. The observed complexity in these hierarchically organized biomate...