6. Glossary – Definitions

auto-assemblage; self-assembly

Spontaneous organization of materials through weak, i.e. non-covalent, interactions such as hydrogen bonds, van der Waals forces, electrostatic forces and p-p interactions, without external intervention.

organo-mineral hybrids; organic-inorganic hybrids

Solids obtained by the simultaneous generation in a single material of closely bonded organic and inorganic components, at least one of whose composition ranges from a few angstroms to a few nanometers.

mesoporous; mesoporous

A term often associated with porous materials, with pore sizes between 2 and 50 nm, according to the IUPAC (International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry) classification.

micelles; micelles

Aggregates of surfactant...