Multi-Investigator Research Program (MIRP). The Science of UltrastructuralProcessing

摘要

The goal of this program was to use chemical sol-gel processing to produce a newgeneration of optical, opto-electronic and bioactive materials. We have produced two new types of silica, Types V and VI silica, which are optically transparent and suitable for rapid, net shape, net surface casting of small optics, binary and surface diffraction optics, Fresnel lenses, micro-optical arrays, aspheric optics, etc. The alkoxide-derived gel-silica has superior optical and thermal properties due to control of the chemistry of mixing, casting, gelation, aging, drying, stabilization, and densification of the silica monoliths. Sol-gel silica processing is also used to produce bioactive gel-glasses and porous silica matrices, Type VI gel-silica, optically transparent to 200 nm with volume fractions of porosity from 0.4 to 0.7 and interconnected pores from 0.1 nm to 1.0 nm radius. Applications are: laser densified GRIN optics, micro optical arrays and waveguides, gas transport sensors, composite optical scintillator, wavelength shifter, solid-state dye laser, non-linear optical matrix, and toxic gas sensor.