Silica nanocasting of lyotropic surfactant phases and organized organic matter: material science or an analytical tool?

The synthesis of porous inorganic films and materials by templating organized organic matter with nanosized structural elements is an actual field in the cross-section of inorganic chemistry, materials chemistry and surfactant science. This discussion article will review recent experiments in this area on a variety of systems and try to evaluate the outcome of both material applications and the basic understanding of self-assembly processes of organic self-organization.