Shear-induced alignment and nanowire silica synthesis in a rigid crystalline surfactant mesophase.

Highly aligned stringlike silica nanostructures are obtained through templated synthesis in the columnar hexagonal structure of a rigid crystalline surfactant mesophase. A two-step procedure is used to first shear-align the surfactant mesophase and then conduct synthesis under quiescent conditions in the mesophase. The mesophase retains its alignment for extended periods, allowing materials synthesis to be decoupled from the application of shear. The observations have significant implications in the control of ceramic microstructure morphology and transitions from nonaligned to aligned nanowire type structures.