A Raman Spectroscopic Study of the Initial Stages of Hydrolysis Oftetraethoxysilane

Abstract

ABSTRACTMultichannel detection Raman spectroscopy was used to follow the hydrolysis and condensation reactions of TEOS/ethanol solutions. Effects of alkoxide concentration, catalyst concentration, watenTEOS ratios, and temperature were studied. It was found that the initial oligomeric composition of hydrolyzed solution was dependent upon the amount of water added to the solution: not only did reaction rates differ, but so to did the reaction products. Higher water concentrations resulted in formation of an oligomer which may contain a trisiloxane ring.