Film to Fiber Transformation of Preferentially Aligned Mesostructured Silica

A new method for fabricating fibrous mesostructured silica on a glass substrate using rubbing-treated polyimide film is described. Both continuous films (see background of the cover) and fibers with preferred mesochannel orientation can be formed by controlling the reaction rates. Self-supported fiber-like silica (see Figure and foreground of the cover) is seen to have smooth surfaces without branching or connecting.