Dispersion of Al2O3 nanoparticles stabilized with mussel-inspired amphiphilic copolymers in organic solvents and formation of hierarchical porous films by the breath figure technique.

Hierarchical porous inorganic materials have attracted much attention, due to their large surface area and fast substance diffusion. We have prepared hierarchical porous films composed of Al2O3 nanoparticles (NPs) using the breath figure technique. The Al2O3 NPs were stabilized using an amphiphilic copolymer that contained catechol moieties. Porous films of polymer-stabilized Al2O3 NPs were prepared using water droplets as templates. The films were sintered to produce hierarchical porous Al2O3 films that were thermally and chemically stable.