Abstract: It is provided a monolithic reactive porous support with efficiency and performance better than a particulate support used in a batch method requiring a liquid-solid separation process or a filling column method requiring a high pressure for liquid supply. In a solution containing a starting material having a reactive site, a precursor of a monolithic porous gel formed of silica, a metal oxide, or an organic-inorganic hybrid composition is reacted. Accordingly, sol-gel transformation and phase separation are induced at the same time to form a gel of the composition having continuous pores with a diameter of 100 nm or greater.

Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide an inorganic porous body having an inorganic porous bone structure as the main body in which various kinds of particles can be uniformly loaded onto the wall surface facing the open pores. The inorganic porous composite body has an inorganic porous bone structure with open pores formed therein and particles for dispersion exposing to the wall surfaces of the bone structure facing the open pores. The bone structure is generated by sol-gel transition accompanied by phase transition.

Abstract: A chromatographic chip is formed of a plate member, a plurality of grooves formed on the plate member, and silica gel having monolithic bimodal pore structure formed in at least one of the grooves. The monolithic bimodal pore structure includes through pores and mesopores smaller than those of the through pores.

Abstract: Inorganic porous materials contained in a confined space with at least one dimension of less than 1 mm, which are in liquid tight contact with the walls of said confined space. Preferred as the confined space are capillaries. Articles contained such materials and methods for making them in the confined space are described.

Abstract: A capillary column comprising a capillary of which the inner diameter is less than 1000 &mgr;m and a continuous porous silica gel which uniformly fills the capillary, said silica gel containing both continuous through pores having diameters ranging from 0.5-5 &mgr;m and mesopores having diameters ranging from 2-50 nm.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a process for producing inorganic porous materials, mainly composed of glass or glass-ceramic components. The glass or glass-ceramic components can have interconnected continuous macropores with a median diameter larger than 0.1 &mgr;m, and mesopores in the walls of said macropores, said mesopores having a median diameter between 2 and 100 nm. The process can include dissolving a water-soluble polymer or some other pore forming agent and a precursor for a matrix dissolving agent in a medium for mixing with a metalorganic compound.