General synthesis of ordered crystallized metal oxide nanoarrays replicated by microwave-digested mesoporous silica

Microwave-digested (MWD) mesoporous materials are shown for the first time to be powerful hosts (templates) for the production of various crystalline metal oxide nanowire (the Figure shows a model) or nanosphere arrays via a simple impregnation and thermolysis synthesis. Some of the metal oxides (e.g., Co3O4) exhibit ordered structures on both meso- and atomic scales.