Homogeneous coating of photonic macroporous oxides with inorganic nanocrystals

A simple method to obtain homogeneous sub-monolayer coverage of metal oxide and chalcogenide nanocrystals onto porous oxide supports is described. Quantitative nanoparticle coverage was probed using photonic macroporous oxide supports. Composites of nanocrystals of TiO₂, Fe₃O₄ or CdS dispersed onto macroporous SiO₂ or ZrO₂ all show a predictable linear shift in the photonic stop band position.