A FT-IR Study of the Synthesis of Boron Ormosils by Means of the Sol-Gel Process

Borosilicon ormosil materials can be prepared by using the sol-gel method. The precursors used for the synthesis were TEOS (tetraethylorthosilicate), TEB (triethylborate) and PDMS (silanol terminated polydimethylsiloxane). Four samples containing different boron amounts were prepared and reactions were studied by FT-IR spectroscopy. The spectra were deconvoluted and the time evolution of the most important bands was analysed in order to know the role of the boron in the reaction process. Different plots show that boron affects the self-condensation process of the hydrolysed TEOS molecules but does not have much influence in the way of the co-polymerization.