Mesoporous structures are more than just materials with pores (2 nm < dmeso < 50 nm) bigger than micropores (dmicro < 2 nm). They show new structures, shapes and symmetries that induce new properties and reveal unexpected applications. This work starts with a comprehensive description of one especially-perfect class of mesoporous structures (circulites), exhibiting circularly arranged pores which represent a novel symmetry behavior. It is shown that these structures are, from a more systematic point of view, strictly-defined hierarchies. They can serve as a prototype for the description and formation of hierarchical structures. Here, coiling is used as a general approach to the assembly of hierarchies. The control and design of hierarchical structures are the ultimate aims and have been achieved for this hierarchy type. We show that surfaces can be used for the selection of the hierarchy type, position control and alignment of the resulting particles. A molecular structuring of the support leads to pixel-like, highly-defined growth of a hierarchical arrangement containing 4 hierarchy levels. Finally, the properties of the hierarchies can be very specific, as shown by the guest transport behavior.

The apatite texture of fossil Brachiosaurus brancai and Barosaurus africanus sauropod bones from the excavation site at Tendaguru, Tanzania, was characterized by neutron diffraction pole figures. The results obtained reveal predominantly 〈0001〉-fibre textures of the apatite; the fibre direction coincides with the longitudinal direction of the long bones of the skeletons. Neutron pole figures further indicate that other texture types may also be present. Texture strength is similar to dinosaur tendons and contemporary turkey tendon studied by others. Variations of texture strength across the bone wall cross-sections are not significantly large.