Silicon imidonitride aerogel exhibiting macro- and meso-dual porosity

Porous silicon imidonitride aerogels have been produced by combining a sol-gel process based on [Si(NH2)(NMe2)3] and ammonia that is known for producing xerogels with controlled mesoporosity, with a supercritical drying process using diethylamine to minimize collapse of the gel structure. The silicon imidonitride aerogel product takes the form of a porous monolith exhibiting two populations of pores in a hierarchical structure. The mesopores can be linked to the precursor system employed, whilst the macropores are consistent with the porosity of related aerogel systems