Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Two step sol-gel processing of TEOS based hydrophobic silica aerogels using trimethylethoxysilane as a co-precursor

  • Published:
Journal of Porous Materials Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The experimental results on the surface modification of tetraethoxysilane (TEOS) based silica aerogels using trimethylethoxysilane (TMES) as a co-precursor by two step sol-gel process are reported. The molar ratio of MeOH/TEOS was fixed at 17 and TMES/TEOS ratio was varied from 0.38 to 1.14. The concentration and quantity of acidic water (oxalic acid) added in the first step and base water (ammonium hydroxide) in the second step were also varied. The best quality superhydrophobic aerogels could be obtained with only distilled water (without any acid catalyst) in the first stage and the basic water in the second step of the sol-gel process. The molar ratio of TEOS: TMES: MeOH: distilled water: basic water was optimized at 1:0.86:17:4.9:4.9, respectively. The surface modification has been confirmed from the Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy measurements while the hydrophobicity was quantified in terms of the contact angle measurements. The TMES/TEOS based aerogel powder could be used to transport micro-liters of water in the form of water marbles. The aerogels have been characterized by the bulk density, porosity, thermal conductivity, contact angle measurements and the transmission electron microscopy (TEM).

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. L.W. Hrubesh, Chem. Ind. 17, 824 (1990)

    Google Scholar 

  2. C.A.M. Mulder, J.G. Van Lierop, in Aerogels, ed. by J.␣Fricke (Springer, Berlin Heidelberg New York, 1986), p. 68

    Google Scholar 

  3. G.M. Pajonk, Appl. Catal. 72, 217 (1991)

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. K. Kim, K.Y. Jang, R.S. Upadhye, J. Am. Ceram. Soc. 78, 1987 (1991)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  5. C.J. Brinker, G.W. Scherer, Sol-Gel Science (Academic, San Diego, 1990), p. 617

    Google Scholar 

  6. T. Jesionowski, J. Zurawska, A. Krysztafkiewicz, J. Mater. Sci. 37, 1621 (2002)

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  7. A. Venkateswara Rao, Ravindra R. Kalesh, D.P. Amalnerkar, T. Seth, J. Porous Mater. 10, 23 (2003)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  8. J.P. Rolland, R. Van Dam, D.A. Schorzman, S.R. Quake, J.M. DeSimone, J. Am. Chem. Soc. 126(8), 2322 (2004)

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. A.Venkateswara Rao, G.M. Pajonk, N.N. Parvathy, E. Elaloui, in Sol-Gel Processing and Applications, ed. by Y.A. Attia (Plenum, New York, 1994), p. 237

    Google Scholar 

  10. A.R. Buzykaev, A.F. Danilyuk, S.F. Ganzhur, E.A. Kravchenko, A.P. Onuchin, Nucl. Instrum. Methods Phys. Res. A 433, 396 (1999)

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  11. A. Venkateswara Rao, Sharad D. Bhagat, Solid State Sci. 6, 945 (2004)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  12. J.J. Bikerman, Surface Chemistry: Theory and Applications, 2nd edn. (Academic, New York, 1958), p. 343

    Google Scholar 

  13. F. Shwertfeger, W. Glaubitt, U. Schubert, J. Non-Cryst. Solids 145, 85 (1992)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  14. A. Venkateswara Rao, G.M. Pajonk, J. Non-Cryst. Solids 285, 202 (2001)

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  15. F. Shwertfeger, D. Frank, M. Schmidt, J. Non-Cryst. Solids 225, 24 (1998)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  16. A. da Silva, P. Donoso, M.A. Aegerter, J. Non-Cryst. Solids 145, 168 (1992)

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  17. A. Venkateswara Rao, Manish M. Kulkarni, Mater. Res. Bull 37, 1667 (2002)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  18. S.K. Kang, S.Y. Choi, J. Mater. Sci. 35, 4971 (2000)

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  19. G.W. Scherer, J. Non-Cryst. Solids, 145, 33 (1992)

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  20. N. Hering, K. Shriber, R. Riedel, O. Lichtenberger, J. Woltersodorf, Appl. Organometal. Chem. 15, 879 (2001)

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  21. Ae.-Y. Jeong, S.-M. Goo, D.-P. Kim, J. Sol-Gel Sci. Technol 19, 483 (2000)

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  22. A. Venkateswara Rao, Manish M. Kulkarni, Sharad D. Bhagat, J. Coll. Inter. Sci. 285, 413 (2005)

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

The authors are grateful to the Department of Science and Technology (DST), New Delhi, Government of India, for the financial support for this work through a major research project on “Aerogels” (No. SR/S2/CMP-01/2002). One of the authors, Nagaraja D. Hegde, is highly thankful to the University Grants Commission (UGC), Government of India, New Delhi for the teacher fellowship awarded under the 10th Plan. Nagaraja D. Hegde is also grateful to the Chairman and members of S.K.E. Society, Belgaum, Karnataka, India for their kind consent to pursue the research work. The partial financial support from the UGC, DRS phase II, under special assistance programme is also gratefully acknowledged.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Air Glass Laboratory, Department of Physics, Shivaji University, Kolhapur, 416 004, Maharashtra, India

    Nagaraja D. Hegde & A. Venkateswara Rao

  2. Faculty of Science and Technology, Keio University, 3-14-1, Hiyoshi, Kohoku-ku, Yokohama, 223-8522, Japan

    Hiroshi Hirashima

Authors
  1. Nagaraja D. Hegde
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Hiroshi Hirashima
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. A. Venkateswara Rao
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to A. Venkateswara Rao.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Hegde, N.D., Hirashima, H. & Venkateswara Rao, A. Two step sol-gel processing of TEOS based hydrophobic silica aerogels using trimethylethoxysilane as a co-precursor. J Porous Mater 14, 165–171 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10934-006-9021-2

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10934-006-9021-2

Keywords

PACS code

Search

Navigation