Syllabus

PNS0219 Introduction to Sol-Gel Chemistry, 5.0 Credits

Subjects

Education cycle

Grading scale

Language

Prior knowledge

Objectives

After completing the course the student shall be able to

• Discuss principal reaction pathways in production of sol-gel precursors (siloxanes, metal alkoxides, inorganic salts) and their chemistry in relation to application in materials synthesis.

• Discuss major reaction mechanisms in the sol-gel process.

• Discuss principal features, such as structure, morphology and chemical reactivity and stability of most important classes of sol-gel materials – nanoparticles, xerogels, aerogels, thin films, membranes, bulk dense and porous ceramics.

• Discuss and argue on the current trends and approaches in synthesis and applications of sol-gel materials.

Content

The course will provide insights into most important questions in production and applications of sol-gel materials. In a series of lectures, an overview of classes of the history, chemistry and most important classes of sol-gel materials will be presented. A special focus will be set on, on one hand, precursor chemistry, and, on the other hand, on understanding of reaction mechanisms in the sol-gel process. Suitability of different synthetic approaches and reaction conditions for producing distinct tyupes of materials will be discussed. Each lecture is followed by a round-table discussion with students. The students will also have to go through selection of research papers and produce a short summary report that has to be discussed in the final discussion session.

Additional information

Responsible department

Department of Molecular Sciences