Nanoscale porous solids have long been advanced in the role of potential catalysts and separation
materials. In this regard, Alumino silicate zeolites enjoys considerable popularity in
connection with applications requiring a nano-dimensioned pore structure. Typically
however, zeolites fall within the ``microporous'' class of materials with pore sizes < 15$ , and
consequently, applications envisioning larger molecules, especially in the  mesoporous size
scale (sizes between 20 A and 500 A), cannot be easily realized using these materials.

A breakthrough for applications in the mesoporous size range occurred a decade ago with the
discovery of the new family of mesoporous silica materials designated M41S.
These materials possess a highly regular periodic structure and an almost uniform distribution of
pore sizes. Such characteristics endow these materials with large surface areas, creating a
potential market for widespread applications. In addition to their conventional uses in
separations and large molecule catalysis, use of these materials for optical data storage and
quantum confinement devices have been proposed. Furthermore, biotechnological applications
are envisioned, wherein appropriate molecular units are attached directly to the confining walls,
thereby providing scaffolding for biocatalysis or for effecting ``smart'' separations.

The past decade has witnessed a flurry of activity accompanying the discovery of these
mesoporous materials. The first material synthesized in this class (called MCM41) utilized
cationic quaternary ammonium surfactants and anionic silicate species to produce a
regularly-ordered hexagonal pore arrangement of silica tubes. Since then, a number of studies
have been carried out aiming to extend the synthesis chemistry to other metals and alternative
self-assembling building blocks. Some recent developments in this field include generalization of
synthesis pathways, based upon other materials such as Al₂0₃ , Zr O₂, Ti O₂ etc. Further, alternative building
blocks like gemini surfactants, block copolymers (which allow much larger pore sizes) have also
been demonstrated to successfully direct the self assembly of these inorganic materials.

In view of the potential for applications and the breakthroughs in synthesis pathways, one might
expect the fundamental science underlying the structure and formation of these materials to be
well understood. Surprisingly, however, quantitative models possessing predictive
capabilities for describing the formation and structure of these materials are still lacking. It is my
intention to apply the expertise I've accumulated in the field of self-assembly of micelles, block
copolymers, etc. to address this need. Broadly, this research would aim to fill the void
currently existing between the synthetic chemistry elements underlying the field and requisite
fundamental understanding by developing simplistic, nonempirical descriptions for the
self-assembly and formation of these multicomponent organic-inorganic materials. Success in
this endeavor would go far towards providing a predictive capability for the
rational design and synthesis of these materials.  The likely target
audience for such a model are experimentalists in synthetic
chemistry and chemical engineering, for whom the model would furnish a
semi-quantitative guideline for synthesizing these materials.