RECENT PROGRESS IN SYNTHESES AND APPLICATIONS OF INVERSE OPALS AND RELATED MACROPOROUS MATERIALS PREPARED BY COLLOIDAL CRYSTAL TEMPLATING

This comprehensive review chapter provides an overview of colloidal crystal templating methods to prepare three-dimensionally ordered macroporous (3DOM) materials or inverse opals, highlighting progress in the last few years. Assembly of colloidal crystal templates from monodisperse spheres and syntheses of 3DOM structures with a wide range of compositions are described. The current state of knowledge of the mechanical, optical, magnetic, electronic and reactive properties of inverse opal materials is reviewed. Advances towards applications of 3DOM materials are discussed, including photonic crystals, responsive pigments, sensors, bioactive materials, catalysts, electrodes and battery materials