Synthesis of Silica Fibers using Agar as Template

Abstract

Recently, much attention has been given to the development of novel porous materials because of their potential wide-ranging applications in catalysis, adsorption, nanotechnology, etc. In this study, we synthesize the silica fibers by sol-gel condensation using agar with other organic compounds as template. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) before and after calcinations are used to obtain visual insights into the silica structure. Formation of silica is fibrous and there is no hole in the silica fibers.