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Comparative analysis of the physicochemical characteristics of SiO2 aerogels prepared by drying under subcritical and supercritical conditions

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Abstract

SiO2-based aerogels have been produced be removing a solvent (ethanol or hexafluoroisopropanol) from lyogels both above and below the critical temperature of the alcohols (in the range 210–260 and 160–220°C, respectively). The resultant materials have been characterized by low-temperature nitrogen adsorption measurements, X-ray diffraction, thermal analysis, scanning electron microscopy, X-ray microanalysis, and small-angle and ultrasmall-angle neutron scattering. The results demonstrate that removing the solvent 20–30°C below the critical temperature of the solvent yields silica that is characterized by higher specific porosity and has the same or a larger specific surface area in comparison with the aerogels produced by drying under supercritical conditions. The nature of the solvent used and the solvent removal temperature influence the size and aggregation behavior of primary clusters and the cluster aggregate size in the aerogels.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Physiologically Active Compounds, Russian Academy of Sciences, Severnyi proezd 1, Chernogolovka, Noginskii raion, Moscow oblast, 142432, Russia

    S. A. Lermontov, A. N. Malkova & N. A. Sipyagina

  2. Moscow State University, Moscow, 119991, Russia

    Kh. E. Yorov & A. E. Baranchikov

  3. Konstantinov Institute of Nuclear Physics, Kurchatov Institute National Research Center, Orlova Roshcha 1, Gatchina, Leningrad oblast, 188300, Russia

    G. P. Kopitsa

  4. Grebenshchikov Institute of Silicate Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, nab. Makarova 2, St. Petersburg, 199034, Russia

    G. P. Kopitsa

  5. Kurnakov Institute of General and Inorganic Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, Leninskii pr. 31, Moscow, 119991, Russia

    A. E. Baranchikov & V. K. Ivanov

  6. National Research Tomsk State University, pr. Lenina 36, Tomsk, 634050, Russia

    V. K. Ivanov

  7. Jülich Centre for Neutron Science Outstation at MLZ, Lichtenbergstrasse 1, 85747, Garching, Germany

    V. Pipich & N. K. Szekely

Authors
  1. S. A. Lermontov
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  2. A. N. Malkova
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  3. N. A. Sipyagina
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  4. Kh. E. Yorov
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  5. G. P. Kopitsa
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  6. A. E. Baranchikov
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  8. V. Pipich
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  9. N. K. Szekely
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Correspondence to S. A. Lermontov.

Additional information

Original Russian Text © S.A. Lermontov, A.N. Malkova, N.A. Sipyagina, Kh.E. Yorov, G.P. Kopitsa, A.E. Baranchikov, V.K. Ivanov, V. Pipich, N.K. Szekely, 2017, published in Neorganicheskie Materialy, 2017, Vol. 53, No. 12, pp. 1302–1310.

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Lermontov, S.A., Malkova, A.N., Sipyagina, N.A. et al. Comparative analysis of the physicochemical characteristics of SiO2 aerogels prepared by drying under subcritical and supercritical conditions. Inorg Mater 53, 1270–1278 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1134/S002016851712007X

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