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Catalytic Control of SiO2 Sol-Gel Kinetics - a Mechanistic Study of Bases
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 28 February 2011
Abstract
The aim of this research was to determine the relative effects of three different base catalysts (NaOH, NH4OH, and RbOH) on the rate of gelation of SiO2 from reactive silicon ethoxide solutions in alcohol (the sol/gel method). The time to gelation was determined using a reaction protocol which assured that condensation was the rate controlling step. NMR spectroscopy was used to verify that the nature of the reacting polymers remained similar as the base catalyst was varied. It was determined that under these conditions the condensation reactions avoid diffusional limitations. Furthermore, the base catalyst serves to modulate both the activation energy and also the Arrhenius preexponential factor. This leads to the proposal of a new condensation mechanism.
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- Copyright © Materials Research Society 1990