Published online by Cambridge University Press: 25 February 2011
We report here an experimental technqiue based on changes in reaction medium volume which we have used to observe the kinetics of hydolysis and polymerization of TEOS in aqueous ethanol solutions containing NH3. Our results show that there are three distinct reaction regions. By combining these results with determinations of change in reaction medium conductivity and average particle size, we are able to link the short and long time regions to TEOS hydrolysis and particle growth respectively. The intermediate reaction time region is not associated with hydrolysis, loss of ionic species due to condensation or to particle growth.