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Ordered gold nanoparticle arrays with high lateral density of 6.87 × 10 10 nanoparticles cm −2 ,w hichare stable up to temperatures of 600 ◦ C, were fabricated. To this end, nanoparticles formed by thermal vacuum evaporation of Au were immobilized within the pores of nanoporous silicon wafers prepared by block copolymer lithography coupled with dry plasma etching. Even after high-temperature treatment the degree of order imposed by the block copolymer template was retained. Optionally, a nanoporous silicon nitride mask can cover the nanoporous silicon.

Silica nanotubes and silica nanohelices were obtained by thermolysis of silicon tetraacetate in nanoporous alumina in the presence of amphiphilic block copolymer soft templates. Silica preferential...

The fabrication of a supported and insulated quantum wire would be of great interest, especially if electronic in- formation could be accessed to determine charging and conductivity profiles. The feasibility of forming one-dimensional configurations of zz 15 nm gold colloids and 2.4 nm gold clusters via template methods of synthesis has now been demonstrated. The template host material consisted of porous alumina membranes formed by an electrochemical anodic pro- cess. The pores of the membrane, and hence the parallel pore channels, were packed in a hexagonal array. Alumina membranes are excellent template materi- als because of their high degree of order, thermal and chemical stability, and opti- cal clarity. Pore diameter was controlled by regulation of the applied anodic poten- tial (ca. 1.4 nm V - I). The pore channels were filled by one of three methods: vacu- um induction (colloids only), elec- trophoresis (clusters only), or immersion (clusters, which were then converted into colloids by heating). Rudimentary wires consisting of colloids and clusters were successfully formed. In both cases, the di- ameter of the pore channel exceeded that