Microscopic vs. macroscopic structural evolution of SiO2 sols and gels employing a tailor-made fluorescent reporter dye

Abstract

The short- and long-term structural evolution and aging of sol–gel materials prepared under mild conditions are studied by fluorometry, dynamic light scattering (DLS), ²⁹Si NMR and gravimetry. In combination with the first, a newly developed donor–acceptor-substituted fluorescent probe with two acidophilic sites of different strength and topology is introduced. Its performance in detecting changes in parameters such as polarity, proticity, and pore volume on the microscopic scale is compared to two other dyes and to the macroscopic changes revealed by DLS, NMR and gravimetry. At early stages of the sol–gel process, fluorometry, DLS and NMR reveal similar changes which are typical of the structural evolution of SiO₂ sols having different synthesis parameters. During later times of sol aging, DLS and NMR reflect the growth of the network and indicate that all sols approach similar structural equilibria. Fluorometry supports these findings by signalling a gradual decrease in mobile species with high proton activity. The formation of the spanning cluster upon gelation is strongly evident only from DLS results while the local environment of the fluorophore remains largely unchanged. However, the fluorescent dye is able to report microscopic changes even during long-term aging. Drying of the gels with a pronounced contraction of solvated pores is readily observable by fluorometry and gravimetry. During the late reaction stages, the fluorescence properties of the tailor-made dye are still sensitive toward the environment.