Advantages and potentials of application of silica mesostructured cellular foams (MCFs) as catalysts and catalyst supports in liquid phase processes are discussed. Due to quite open structure (V_p ca. 2.5 cm³g^-1), large specific surface area (up to 1000 m²g^-1) embedded in cage-like large mesopores (20-40 nm) interconnected by 10-15 nm windows these materials appear to be exceptionally suited for catalytic applications in liquid phase processes. MCFs functionalised with: aminopropyl, aminoethylaminopropyl and glicydoxypropyl groups were found to be very effective carriers for enzymes (invertase, glucoseamylase), far superior to the conventional silica gels and also Eupergit C, a specialty enzyme polymeric support. MCFs grafted with sulfonic acid groups showed activity similar to that of sulphuric acid in the reaction of phthalic anhydride esterification, whereas those post-synthetically treated with titanium alkoxide appeared to be the most efficient amongst a number of catalysts tested in the selective oxidation of large organic molecules using hydrogen peroxide. The latter was due to the presence of numerous site-isolated titanium species in tetrahedral coordinated form. Properties of the materials obtained were investigated using nitrogen adsorption method, IR and UV spectroscopy, thermogravimetry and two step ammonia adsorption to determine the specific properties standing behind the unique behaviour of MCF-based catalysts.

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1. Materials with multimodal hierarchical porosity