Study of Silica Sol-Gel Materials for Sensor Development
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Abstract
As a widely-explored subject for numerous applications, silica sol-gel has attracted
the attention of our group for sensor development. This study focused on pore surface
modification of two different types of silica sol-gel by post-grafting method, and
construction of stable silica hydrogel-like thin films. By monitoring the mobility and
photostability of rhodamine 6G (R6G) molecules in silica alcogel thin films through
single molecule spectroscopy (SMS), the guest-host interactions altered by
post-synthesis grafting were examined. Similar post-grafting method was then applied
to highly hydrated silica hydrogel monoliths; more efficient surface modification was
expected, because larger pore sizes in hydrogel provide higher accessibility of
organosilane reagents. During the study of post-grafting on alcogel thin film, a new
approach to produce stable silica hydrogel-like thin films was discovered. A lot of effort
has been made to improve the reproducibility of sample preparation, and the guest
loading capacity of silica hydrogel-like thin films. A prototype silica hydrogel-like thin
film pH sensor was also constructed and tested.
12
Understanding how guest-host interactions can be affected by silane modifications
is critical to sensor development. It helps tailoring the local environments inside silica
sol-gel matrix, so that higher guest loading, longer shelf-life, higher sensitivity and
faster response of silica gel based sensors could be achieved. Stable silica hydrogel-like
thin film with a thickness only around 200 nm, which to the best of our knowledge has
never been accomplished before, is expected to be a better substrate for sensing devices
that demand faster response than thick monoliths
the attention of our group for sensor development. This study focused on pore surface
modification of two different types of silica sol-gel by post-grafting method, and
construction of stable silica hydrogel-like thin films. By monitoring the mobility and
photostability of rhodamine 6G (R6G) molecules in silica alcogel thin films through
single molecule spectroscopy (SMS), the guest-host interactions altered by
post-synthesis grafting were examined. Similar post-grafting method was then applied
to highly hydrated silica hydrogel monoliths; more efficient surface modification was
expected, because larger pore sizes in hydrogel provide higher accessibility of
organosilane reagents. During the study of post-grafting on alcogel thin film, a new
approach to produce stable silica hydrogel-like thin films was discovered. A lot of effort
has been made to improve the reproducibility of sample preparation, and the guest
loading capacity of silica hydrogel-like thin films. A prototype silica hydrogel-like thin
film pH sensor was also constructed and tested.
12
Understanding how guest-host interactions can be affected by silane modifications
is critical to sensor development. It helps tailoring the local environments inside silica
sol-gel matrix, so that higher guest loading, longer shelf-life, higher sensitivity and
faster response of silica gel based sensors could be achieved. Stable silica hydrogel-like
thin film with a thickness only around 200 nm, which to the best of our knowledge has
never been accomplished before, is expected to be a better substrate for sensing devices
that demand faster response than thick monoliths