Volume 42, Issue 9 pp. 980-999
Review

Organic Templates for the Generation of Inorganic Materials

Kjeld J. C. van Bommel Dr.

Kjeld J. C. van Bommel Dr.

Chemotransfiguration Project, Japan Science and Technology Corporation (JST), 2432 Aikawa, Kurume, Fukuoka 839-0861, Japan

Current address:, BiOMaDe Technology Foundation, Nijenborgh 4, 9747 AG Groningen, Netherlands, Both authors contributed equally to this paper.

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Arianna Friggeri Dr.

Arianna Friggeri Dr.

Chemotransfiguration Project, Japan Science and Technology Corporation (JST), 2432 Aikawa, Kurume, Fukuoka 839-0861, Japan

Current address:, BiOMaDe Technology Foundation, Nijenborgh 4, 9747 AG Groningen, Netherlands, Both authors contributed equally to this paper.

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Seiji Shinkai Prof.

Seiji Shinkai Prof.

Chemotransfiguration Project, Japan Science and Technology Corporation (JST), 2432 Aikawa, Kurume, Fukuoka 839-0861, Japan

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First published: 26 February 2003
Citations: 842

The pasta images in the frontispieceare reproduced with permission from “The Cooks Thesaurus” (http://www.foodsubs.com).

Graphical Abstract

Shapely structured inorganic materials of diverse morphologies and compositions are nowadays obtainable through the transcription of organic templates (see picture). This review gives an overview of the various kinds of templates, precursors, and methods that have been employed for this purpose, as well as the diversity of inorganic materials that have been obtained.

Abstract

Mankind's fascination with shapes and patterns, many examples of which come from nature, has greatly influenced areas such as art and architecture. Science too has long since been interested in the origin of shapes and structures found in nature. Whereas organic chemistry in general, and supramolecular chemistry especially, has been very successful in creating large superstructures of often stunning morphology, inorganic chemistry has lagged behind. Over the last decade, however, researchers in various fields of chemistry have been studying novel methods through which the shape of inorganic materials can be controlled at the micro- or even nanoscopic level. A method that has proven very successful is the formation of inorganic structures under the influence of (bio)organic templates, which has resulted in the generation of a large variety of structured inorganic structures that are currently unattainable through any other method.

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