{"title":"Cosolvent-free sol–gel synthesis of macroporous silica gels from tetramethoxysilane–tetraethoxysilane mixtures","authors":"Hiroka Koreeda, Masanao Ishijima, Koichi Kajihara","doi":"10.1007/s10971-024-06402-z","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<h3 data-test=\"abstract-sub-heading\">Abstract</h3><p>Tetramethoxysilane (TMOS), tetraethoxysilane (TEOS), and their mixtures were used for the cosolvent-free synthesis of macroporous silica gels as precursors for monolithic silica glasses. The liquid-state <sup>29</sup>Si nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy of precursor solutions indicated that cross-transesterification between TMOS and TEOS was completed in a few hours at 20 °C in the presence of an acid catalyst, whereas it was negligible when the catalyst was absent. In the precursor solutions prepared from TMOS, phase separation occurred after gelation, resulting in translucent gels. In contrast, in the solutions prepared from TEOS or a mixture of TMOS and TEOS at a TMOS mole fraction of 0.8, the phase separation can be induced before gelation, and opaque xerogels were easily obtained without fracture. The average size of macroscopic particles and macroporous structures were uniform over opaque xerogels prepared from TEOS. In contrast, in opaque xerogels prepared from the TMOS-rich mixture of TMOS and TEOS, the average particle size and macroscopic porosity inside them were notably smaller than those of the subsurface, probably because of a large exotherm upon gelation and the resulting temperature gradient in the gelling solutions. Such spatial morphology distribution made the sintering of the opaque gels into clear silica glasses difficult. Opaque gels prepared from TEOS and translucent gels prepared from solutions containing TMOS were transformed to clear silica glasses in high yields of ~99% by sintering in a helium atmosphere at 1050–1350 °C.</p><h3 data-test=\"abstract-sub-heading\">Graphical abstract</h3>","PeriodicalId":664,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Sol-Gel Science and Technology","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":2.3000,"publicationDate":"2024-06-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Journal of Sol-Gel Science and Technology","FirstCategoryId":"88","ListUrlMain":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s10971-024-06402-z","RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q2","JCRName":"MATERIALS SCIENCE, CERAMICS","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
Tetramethoxysilane (TMOS), tetraethoxysilane (TEOS), and their mixtures were used for the cosolvent-free synthesis of macroporous silica gels as precursors for monolithic silica glasses. The liquid-state 29Si nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy of precursor solutions indicated that cross-transesterification between TMOS and TEOS was completed in a few hours at 20 °C in the presence of an acid catalyst, whereas it was negligible when the catalyst was absent. In the precursor solutions prepared from TMOS, phase separation occurred after gelation, resulting in translucent gels. In contrast, in the solutions prepared from TEOS or a mixture of TMOS and TEOS at a TMOS mole fraction of 0.8, the phase separation can be induced before gelation, and opaque xerogels were easily obtained without fracture. The average size of macroscopic particles and macroporous structures were uniform over opaque xerogels prepared from TEOS. In contrast, in opaque xerogels prepared from the TMOS-rich mixture of TMOS and TEOS, the average particle size and macroscopic porosity inside them were notably smaller than those of the subsurface, probably because of a large exotherm upon gelation and the resulting temperature gradient in the gelling solutions. Such spatial morphology distribution made the sintering of the opaque gels into clear silica glasses difficult. Opaque gels prepared from TEOS and translucent gels prepared from solutions containing TMOS were transformed to clear silica glasses in high yields of ~99% by sintering in a helium atmosphere at 1050–1350 °C.
期刊介绍:
The primary objective of the Journal of Sol-Gel Science and Technology (JSST), the official journal of the International Sol-Gel Society, is to provide an international forum for the dissemination of scientific, technological, and general knowledge about materials processed by chemical nanotechnologies known as the "sol-gel" process. The materials of interest include gels, gel-derived glasses, ceramics in form of nano- and micro-powders, bulk, fibres, thin films and coatings as well as more recent materials such as hybrid organic-inorganic materials and composites. Such materials exhibit a wide range of optical, electronic, magnetic, chemical, environmental, and biomedical properties and functionalities. Methods for producing sol-gel-derived materials and the industrial uses of these materials are also of great interest.