<title>Infrared and Raman spectra of sol-gel prepared methyl-substituted silica</title>

Abstract

Sol-gel processes provide techniques to prepare materials which contain silicate and organic groups in a single amorphous phase. Such materials can possibly possess a resultant combination of beneficial physical and chemical properties from silicate glass and organic polymeric materials. Also, silica glasses containing organic components in their network can more readily dissolve organic dyes, and therefore be used in optical fibers to promote optical amplifier capabilities. The properties of such solid materials intimately relate to the structural arrangements in the materials. Infrared and Raman spectroscopy have been applied in this study to obtain valuable information for sol-gel condensates from the tetramethoxysilane (TMOS)/diethoxydimethylsilane (DEDMS)/methyltrimethoxysilane (MTMS) system. Compositions in this system can possess methyl-bonded silicon atoms in their structural networks in contrast to silica gels and glasses. The resulting differences that are noted in the distributions of the three-fold (Si-O)3 ring and the four-fold (Si-O)4 ring structures of these materials with respect to silica gels and glasses are discussed on the basis of observed infrared and Raman spectra. Also, structural changes occurring during the heat treatment of gels that were prepared from binary TMOS/DEDMS mixtures were also investigated using infrared spectroscopy.© (1994) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.