ABSTRACT
The microemulsion/gel method is described. The method essentially is a modification of the alkoxysilane sol/gel method in which alcohol is replaced by microemulsions as the reaction medium. The most elegant application is the contribution demonstrating the use of liquid crystals as templates to form specific microgeometries of the silica. The microemulsions consist of water dispersed in oil and vice versa or bicontinuous structures of oil and water, all of colloidal dimensions. The microemulsion gels are important per se as an alternative to gelation of microemulsions using collagen or lecithin. A colloidal system such as a microemulsion or a liquid crystalline phase, on the contrary, contains well-defined hydrophobic/hydrophilic interfaces. The effect of the interface on the reaction is one of the more important fundamental aspects of the microemulsion/gel process. The microemulsion method has also been applied in the preparation of titania using water- in-oil microemulsions.
