Abstract
Congratulations on “United Nations International Year of Glass 2022.” I would like to acknowledge the efforts made by the International Commission on Glass with the Community of Glass Associations and the Glass Art Society to promote the status of glass. I am very much pleased to contribute an article on the birth of the sol–gel method and its growth in early times for a Special Issue of Journal of Sol–Gel Science and Technology, which is published to celebrate the Year of Glass. At present, the sol–gel method is employed not only for manufacturing optical glass fibers for communication, but also for processing a wide range of functional, high technology materials, such as photonic, electronic, micromechanical, chemical, and bionic materials. The sol–gel method typically involves the following steps: (1) starting from a solution containing pure precursors, (2) conversion of the solution to a sol and then to a gel by hydrolysis and polycondensation, (3) forming into desired shapes such as bulk, film, and fiber during gelation of the sol, and (4) thermal treatment of the gel into a solid material at low temperatures. It should be noted, however, that there are many variants. For instance, the method of fabrication of a solid material by heating the shaped compact of gel powders prepared from a solution or sol is also called the “sol–gel method.” In this case, “starting from a solution” is important.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Dislich H (1971) New routes to multicomponent oxide glasses. Angew Chem Int Ed 10:363–434
Sakka S, Kamiya K, Yamanaka I (1974) Non-crystalline solids of the TiO2-SiO2 and Al2O3-SiO2 system formed from alkoxides. Proc Xth Intertn Congr Glass 13:44–48
Sakka S, Kamiya K (1978) Preparation of compact solids from alkoxide. Proceedings of International Symposium of Factors in Densification and Sintering of Oxide and Non-oxide Ceramics, Japan 101–109
Yamane M, Aso S, Okano S, Sakaino T (1979) Low temperature synthesis of a monolithic silica glass by the hydrolysis of a silica gel. J Mater Sci 14:607–611
Zarzycki J, Prassas M, Phalippou J (1982) Synthesis of glass from gels; the problem of monolithic gels. J Mater Sci 17:3371–3379
Rabinovich EM, MacChesney JB, Johnson DW, Simpson JR, Meagher BW, Dimarcello FV, Wood DJ, Sigety FA (1984) Sol-gel preparation of transparent silica glass. J Non-Cryst Solids 63:155–161
Kapron EP, Keck DB, Maurer RD (1970) Radiation losses in glass optical waveguides. Appl Phys Lett 17(11):423–425
MacChesney JB, Johnson DW, Fleming DA, Walz FW(1987) Hybridized sol-gel process for optical fibers. Electron Lett 23:1005–1007
MacChesney JB, Johnson DW, Bhandarkar S, Bohrer MP, Fleming JW, Monberg EW, Trevor DJ (1992) Optical fibers using sol-gel silica overcladding tubes. Electron Lett 33(18):1573–1574
Trevor DJ (2004) Fabrication of large near net shapes of fiber optic quality silica. In: Sakka S (ed) Handbook of sol-gel science and technology, vol III, chapt 2. Kluwer Academic Publishers, Boston. 27–64
Fukushima J, Kodaira K, Matsushita T (1976) Preparation of BaTiO3 films by hydrolysis of organometallic compounds. Am Ceram Soc Bull 55:1064–1065
Yoldas BE, Partlow DP (1980) Formation of continuous beta alumina films and coatings at low temperatures. Am Ceram Soc Bull 59:640–642
Ogiwara S, Kinugawa K (1980) Properties of In2O3 transparent conducting films formed by thermal decomposition of indium acetylacetonate. Yogyo-Kyokai-shi 90:157–163
Proceedings of the International Workshop on Glasses and Glass Ceramics from Gels (1982) Gottardi V (ed). J Non-Cryst Solids 48
Dislich H, Hinz P (1982) History and principles of the sol-gel process, and some new multicomponent oxide coatings. J Non-Cryst Solids 48:11–16
Mukherjee SP, Lowdermilk WH (1982) Gel-derived single layer antireflection films. J Non-Cryst Solids 48:177–184
Schlichting J, Neumann S (1982) GeO2/SiO2-glasses from gels to increase the oxidation resistance of porous silicon containing ceramics. J Non-Cryst Solids 48:185–194
Carturan G, Facchin G, Gottardi V, Guglielmi M, Navazio G (1982) Phenylacetylene half-hydrogenation with Pd supported on vitreous materials having different chemical compositions. J Non-Cryst Solids 48:219–226
Proceedings of the Second International Workshop on Glasses and Glass Ceramics from Gels (1984) J Non-Cryst Solids 63
Sakka S, Kamiya K, Makita K, Yamamoto Y (1984) Formation of sheets and coating films from alkoxide solutions. J Non-Cryst Solids 63:223–235
Arfsten NJ (1984) Sol-gel derived transparent IR-reflecting ITO semiconductor coatings and future applications. J Non-Cryst Solids 63:243–249
Geotti-Bianchini F, Guglielmi M, Palato P, Soraru GD (1984) Preparation and characterization of Fe, Cr and Co oxide films on float glass from gels. J Non-Cryst Solids 63:251–259
Philipp G, Schmidt H (1984) New materials for contact lenses prepared from Si- and Ti-alkoxides by the sol-gel process. J Non-Cryst Solids 63:283–292
Avnir D, Levy D, Reisfeld R (1984) The nature of the silica cage as reflected by spectral changes and enhanced photostability of trapped rhodamine 6G. J Phys Chem 88:5956–5959
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Ethics declarations
Conflict of interest
The author declares no competing interests.
Additional information
Publisher’s note Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Sakka, S. Birth of the sol–gel method: early history. J Sol-Gel Sci Technol 102, 478–481 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10971-021-05640-9
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10971-021-05640-9