TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - INORGANIC CHEMISTRY - Preferred Components: The microporous xerogel comprises a metal oxide, where the microporous xerogel comprises a pseudo-boehmite, zirconium oxide, titanium oxide, barium oxide, silicon oxide, aluminum oxide, tin oxide, or a combination comprising at least one of the foregoing oxides.    TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - POLYMERS - Preferred Components: The glass transition temperature of the polymer is changes by less than 25% after exposure to water or an organic electrolyte. The polymer having a glass transition temperature of 50 degrees C or higher is: a polyvinyl acetate, a polyvinyl pyrrolidone, polyvinyl alcohol, a copolymer of a polyvinyl acetate and a polyvinyl pyrrolidone, polyvinyl alcohol or a polyvinyl pyrrolidone or a combination comprising at least one of the foregoing polymers; and alkylated polyethylene oxide, polyvinyl butyral, hydroxyethyl cellulose, cellulose acetate propionate, polymer comprising quaternary ammonium groups, polyacrylamide, polyvinyl ether, polyethyleneimine, polyurethane, epoxy, melamine formaldehyde, urea formaldehyde, and their copolymers, copolymers of maleic anhydride and derivatives and their esters, gelatin, starch, or a combination comprising at least one of the foregoing polymers. The polymer having a glass transition temperature of 50 degrees C or higher is a polyvinyl alcohol crosslinked with melamine formaldehyde or urea formaldehyde. The polymer binder further comprises an additive of pigments, crosslinking agents, catalysts for nonradiation curing, sensitizers for radiation curing, plasticizers, surfactants, and dispersants, or a combination comprising at least one of the foregoing additives. (I) further comprises a non-microporous coating layer, where the non-microporous coating layer comprises a surface that is in contact with a surface of the microporous xerogel layer. The polymer is a polyvinyl acetate, a polyvinyl pyrrolidone, polyvinyl alcohol, a copolymer of a polyvinyl alcohol and a polyvinyl pyrrolidone, a polyvinyl acetate and a polyvinyl pyrrolidone, or a combination comprising at least one of the foregoing polymers. The organic electrolyte comprises curable monomers and/or curable oligomers. The crosslinked polymeric binder comprises a polyvinyl alcohol crosslinked with melamine formaldehyde or urea formaldehyde. Preferred Method: The method further comprises curing the curable monomers, curable oligomers, or a combination of curable monomers and oligomers. The method for manufacture of a microporous layer comprising a microporous xerogel comprises: disposing onto a temporary carrier, the xerogel-forming composition; removing the liquid medium from the xerogel-forming composition to form the microporous xerogel comprising pores that are substantially continuously interconnected from a first outermost surface of the microporous xerogel through to a second outermost surface of the microporous xerogel, where the microporous xerogel has a first surface on a side adjacent to the temporary carrier and has a second surface on a side opposite the temporary carrier; laminating the second surface of the microporous xerogel to a substrate; and removing the temporary carrier. EXAMPLE - A mixture of Cataloid (RTM: Boehmite sol) (5-10 wt.%), poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) (0.5-1 wt.%) polymer and water were coated with a crosslinker e.g. Sunrez 700 (RTM: Thermosetting resins). The coating mixture was coated on 100 micrometer thick of Melinex 516 (RTM: Polyethylene terephthalate film) to obtain pseudo-boehmite microporous xerogel (25 mu m thickness) and dried at 130 degrees C. The pseudo-boehmite microporous xerogel was delaminated from the polyethylene terephthalate film substrate and cured the PVA at 50-200 degrees C and worked up to give free standing pseudo-boehmite microporous xerogel (25 mu m thickness).