Patent ID: 7067104

Claim:
A method for the production of a shaped microcomponent, comprising: a) providing at least one biologically-derived silica microtemplate having an original chemical composition and an original dimensional feature, wherein the at least one biologically-derived silica microtemplate is a frustule of a diatom species; and b) subjecting said at least one biologically-derived silica microtemplate to at least one chemical reaction so as to at least partially convert said at least one biologically-derived silica microtemplate into a shaped microcomponent comprising a solid oxide, wherein the at least one chemical reaction is selected from the group consisting of additive reaction, metathetic reaction, oxidation-reduction reaction, or combinations thereof; and wherein at least a portion of the shaped microcomponent has a different chemical composition than the biologically-derived silica microtemplate, but substantially the same dimensional feature as the biologically-derived silica microtemplate.