Here, we present two newly composite inverse opals: SiO2/TiO2 and SiO2/Al2O3. With their particular properties, they may potentially be applied as carriers of catalyst and photonic band gap crystals. The fabrication processes consist of the vertical co-deposition of colloids and the filling to the templates with TiO2 and Al2O3 precursors. (c) 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.