Fabrication of free-standing inverse-opal structure

Abstract

This study reports a method of making free-standing inverse-opal structure for catalyst-reaction field. Resin particles of which diameter is 10 μm was self-assembled on a silicon wafer as the first step. Finer silica particles were assembled in the vacant space between the resin particles as the second step. Then the resin particles were removed with baking to obtain inverse-opal structure made of finer silica particles. The structure had enough thickness to handle with a tweezer, thus, bending test was carried out to reveal the mechanical property.