Submicron Porous Materials

Book excerpt: This book covers the latest research on porous materials at the submicron scale and inspires readers to better understand the porosity of materials, as well as to develop innovative new materials. A comprehensive range of materials are covered, including carbon-based and organic-based porous materials, porous anodic alumina, silica, and titania-based sol-gel materials. The fabrication, characterization, and applications of these materials are all explored, with applications ranging from sensors, thermoelectrics, catalysis, energy storage, to photovoltaics. Also of practical use for readers are chapters that describe the basics of porous silicon fabrication and its use in optical sensing and drug delivery applications; how thermal transport is affected in porous materials; how to model diffusion in porous materials; and a unique chapter on an innovative spectroscopic technique used to characterize materials' porosity. This is an ideal book for graduate students, researchers, and professionals who work with porous materials.