Preparation of Sol-Gel Derived SiO₂ and Al₂O₃ Layers with Designed Nanoporosity

Abstract

The sol–gel process was used to prepare nanoporous (typically micro and mesoporous) supported layers from silica and alumina sols. The control of aging time for silica gel layers, the investigations of new alumina hydrosols and the general use of removable templating mesophases are crucial parameters to produce layers exhibiting unconventional porosity. Quasidense microporous layers as well as silica layers with a mesoporosity up to 74% were obtained. All these described methods allow the easy preparation of supported crack-free layers with several potential applications.