Published online by Cambridge University Press: 01 February 2011
In this paper, we report the synthesis and characterization of three novel water-based nanocomposite coatings. Throughout the paper, these coatings will be referred to as coatings 1, 2 and 3. The coatings are silica-based and are sol-gel derived using surfactant assemblies, with aluminum perchlorate as a catalyst. After synthesis, curing causes cross-link polymerization of silica, forming Si-O-Si network. The formation of this 3-Dimensional network can be verified using Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) and Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM). Incorporating metal oxide nanoparticles gives the material unique properties.