MESOPOROUS MATERIAL an‎d METHODS OF MAKING THEM

Mesoporous materials and a method for making such materials is disclosed in which the mesoporous materials are made by forming an aqueous solution having an organometallic compound; adding a solution comprising a pore forming material selected from the group consisting of monomeric polyols, polyacids, polyamines, carbohydrates, oligopeptides, oligo nucleic acids, carbonyl functional organic compounds, and mixtures and derivatives of these materials to form a sol geL matrix by polycondensation; drying the sol gel matrix; and removing the pore forming material from the dried sol-gel matrix to thereby form a meso porous material. The mesoporous materials have pore diameters of from about 20 Å to about 100 Å and may be used with a biologically active agent immobilized within the pores of the mesoporous material and introduced into a biological system.