Development of functional materials by chemical surface modification of metal oxides using silanols and alkoxysilanes

Abstract

Organosilicon compounds such as alkoxysilanes (R_4-nSi(OR')_n) and silanols (R_4-nSi(OH)_n) are known to show high bonding ability to metal oxides by forming strong Si-O-metal bond on the metal oxide surface. This characteristic property is useful to develop inorganic-organic hybrid functional materials. In this work, the applicability of alkoxysilanes was examined to sensitizing dyes for dye-sensitized solar cells and the adsorptive properties of nano-porous alumina membrane with chemically modified surface by di(1-naphthyl)silanediol were investigated for aromatic compounds.