Synthesis of hierarchical mesoporous zirconia fiber by using collagen fiber as a template

Ordered hierarchical mesoporous zirconia fiber was prepared by using collagen fiber as a template, and it was characterized by scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, N₂ adsorption techniques, x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, x-ray diffraction, and elemental analysis. It was found that the zirconia fiber obtained is approximately 1–4 μm in outer diameter and 0.5–1 mm in length, and the surface of the fiber exhibits unique corncob-like mesoporous morphology. This study indicates that collagen fiber, with hierarchical supermolecular structures, could be used as an ideal template to prepare porous metal oxide fibers.