Transcription of pH-sensitive supramolecular assemblies into silica: from straight, coiled, and helical tubes to single and double fan-like bundles

Abstract

The transcription of self-assembled organic structures by the sol–gel process is a powerful method in the synthesis of inorganic materials with controlled sizes, shapes, and porosities. Lithocholic acid (LCA) shows pH-sensitive supramolecular assemblies in aqueous solution, which can be used as tunable templates in the synthesis of silica replicas. Micro- and submicro-scale silica structures from straight, coiled, and helical tubes to single and double fan-like bundles are formed by the sol–gel transcription of pH-sensitive LCA assemblies with tetraethoxysilane (TEOS) in the presence of ammonia catalyst.