Preparation and characterization of Cu:SiO2 aerogel films

This paper examines the effect of the amount of Cu(II) cations and modifiers on the physical properties of Cu:SiO2 aerogels. The Cu:SiO2 aerogel films were also synthesized by a copolymerization sol-gel reaction, followed by ambient drying. Among the three surface modifiers (TMCS, MTMS, and HMDSZ) that were examined, the HMDSZ was found to be effective regarding stability and properties. The Cu:SiO2 aerogel films were found to have a high surface area of (>770 m2/g), an average pore diameter of 2.8∼3.6 nm, and crack-free blue colored aerogels. 1∼2 mol% Cu:SiO2 aerogel films showed a high transmittance of over 90%. The resulting Cu:SiO2 aerogel composites were characterized by SEM/EDS, BET, TG-DSC, UV–VIS–NIR, and TEM observation. The Cu(II) cations interrupted the spring back effect of the Cu:SiO2 wet gel during gelation. CuO nano particles with an average of 20 nm were dispersed in the SiO2 aerogel film, which was fired at 300 °C.

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