Guest Editors:
J. Erlebacher and R. SeshadriPorous metals and ceramic materials are of critical importance in catalysis, sensing, and adsorption technologies and exhibit unusual mechanical, magnetic, electrical, and optical properties compared to nonporous bulk materials. When materials are kinetically locked out of thermodynamic equilibrium, temperature or chemistry can be used as a “knob” to tune their microstructure and properties. This issue of MRS Bulletin explores two emerging classes of self-organized porous media: mesoporous metals made by selective dissolution of one component of an alloy and the formation of porous ceramics by phase separation. Careful control of processing reveals a broad spectrum of microstructures, compositions, and pore shapes and sizes with applications from energy to biology.
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