Cylindrical macroporous silica inverse opal structures coassembled by sol-gel assembly method

Cylindrical macroporous silica structures are fabricated on the surfaces of glass capillary with different diameters by a sol-gel cooperative assembly method. The cylindrical inverse opals are characterized by scanning electron microscope, showing that the (111)-like plane of face-centered-cubic (fcc) structure is parallel to the surface of the cylindrical capillary. Transmission spectra demonstrate typical photonic band gaps (PBGs) of about 40% in the direction of [111] lattice orientation, which accords well with the result from the Bragg formula. The excellent optical properties not only affirm the success of sol-gel coassembled macroporous silica inverse opals on cylindrical substrates, but also introduce PBG materials to meet the requirements of the practical applications of optical communication, optical switching and sensors.