Published online by Cambridge University Press: 21 February 2011
Clear gels have been made from TEOS and the aminofunctional silane under acid-catalyzed conditions and light scattering of the gels has been related to pH and the concentration of fluoride ions in the sol as well as the amount of the aminosilane used. We have succeeded in preparing a series of gels containing Ni2+ or Cu2+ ions immobilized by chelation either before or after the gel formation. Aerogels made from these gels in particular, doped by the method of impregnation, have had a homogeneous microstructure on the scale of only a few nanometers.