Single-strand spider silk templating for the formation of hierarchically ordered hollow mesoporous silica fibers

A single strand of spider silk with a diameter of similar to5 mum and similar to3 cm in length was used as a template to dip-coat a liquid crystalline silica-surfactant mesophase along the direction of the silk strand to obtain a hierarchically ordered hollow mesoporous silica fiber (external diameter of 1-2 mum) after removal of the spider silk template and the surfactant by calcination.