E.O. Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory

APPLICATIONS OF TECHNOLOGY: Modification of inorganic aerogels Advanced composite materials Fast ICs Energy storage devices Optical chemical sensors ADVANTAGES: Produces aerogels with unique properties Applicable to a wide range of reactive gases and aerogels
		These pieces of silica aerogel have been coated with silicon nanoparticles using chemical vapor methods. The composites emit red light when excited with ultraviolet light.

ABSTRACT: Michael Ayers at Berkeley Lab has developed a breakthrough, low temperature process that uses an energetic plasma of a reducing gas to modify existing inorganic aerogels. For the first time, this procedure allows fabrication of chemically altered aerogel materials that also retain their structural integrity. The aerogel materials produced using this technique exhibit a variety of unique properties, such as photoluminescence, electrical conductivity, and enhanced or reduced chemical activity. Applications for aerogel materials modified using this technique include additives for advanced composite materials, such as more malleable metal composites; faster electronic chips; higher capacity energy storage devices; and optical chemical sensors. A prototype oxygen sensor has been designed and fabricated at LBL using silica aerogels chemically altered to emit visible light when exposed to ultra-violet, and the same property may also find application in display technologies (aerogel screens). The new process is applicable to a wide variety of reactive gases and aerogels.

STATUS: U.S. Patent #6,004,436 and another patent pending. Available for licensing

REFERENCE NUMBER: IB-1125

FOR MORE INFORMATION PLEASE SEE:

• Cao W., Hunt A.J., "Photoluminescence of chemically vapor depositied Si on silica aerogels," Applied Physics Letters, 1994, 64, 18, 2376.