Cubic gyroid frameworks in mesostructured metal selenides created from tetrahedral Zn2+, Cd2+, and In3+ ions and the [SbSe4]3- precursor

We describe a new group of well-organized cubic mesostructured metal chalcogenides. They were obtained from the assembly of the tetrahedral [SbSe4]3- unit and the linking metal ions In3+, Zn2+, and Cd2+ in the presence of Cn (n = 12, 14, 16) pyridinium surfactants acting as structure-directing agents. The assembly of the cubic gyroid mesostructure is immediate upon mixing the reactants. The cubic structure, confirmed with X-ray diffraction and transmission electron microscopy, contains an infinitely extended M/Sb/Se network that defines a well-known periodic minimal surface known as the gyroid and possesses an Ia3d space group symmetry. The ion In3+ is a more versatile linking metal and can also form a hexagonal mesostructure by changing the surfactant concentration or carbon chain length. The pore−pore separations and pore sizes are a function of surfactant chain length in all cases. The cubic mesophases exhibit reversible ion-exchange properties, although the cubic symmetry cannot be retained. All meso...