Structural control of oligomeric methyl silsesquioxane precursors and their thin‐film properties

Oligomeric methyl silsesquioxane (O‐MSSQ) precursors were prepared from methyl trimethoxysilane (MTMS) in a mixed solvent of methyl isobutyl ketone and tetrahydrofuran by variations in the pH and molar ratio of water to MTMS (R₁). The molecular structures of O‐MSSQ were controlled by the reaction conditions. At a fixed pH value, the percentage of the end group, Si? OCH₃, decreased with increasing R₁, but that of Si? OH increased. With the pH increasing, the ratio of Si? OCH₃ groups to Si? OH groups was enhanced, but ratio of the molecular weights was reduced. The molecular weight distribution was progressively broader as the pH value decreased. These results were explained by the effects of R₁ and pH on the hydrolysis and condensation reactions. The prepared O‐MSSQ precursors consisted of mixed cage and network structures. The ratio of cage structures to network structures increased at low pH and high R₁ values. Highly uniform thin films were spin‐coated from the O‐MSSQ precursors, and this was followed by multistep curing. The content of cage structures in O‐MSSQ films decreased with increasing curing temperatures, whereas the network content in O‐MSSQ films showed the opposite trend. Such a structural transformation resulted in significant variations in the physical properties. Both the refractive index and dielectric constant decreased with higher cage/network ratios because of changes in the molar volume. The prepared O‐MSSQ has potential applications as a low dielectric constant material. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 40: 1560–1571, 2002     

Cubic Siloxanes with Both Si−H and Si−OtBu Groups for Site‐Selective Siloxane Bond Formation

Cage‐type siloxanes have attracted increasing attention as building blocks for silica‐based nanomaterials as their corners can be modified with various functional groups. Cubic octasiloxanes incorporating both Si?H and Si?OtBu groups [(tBuO)_nH_8?nSi₈O₁₂; n=1, 2 or 7] have been synthesized by the reaction of octa(hydridosilsesquioxane) (H₈Si₈O₁₂) and tert‐butyl alcohol in the presence of a Et₂NOH catalyst. The Si?H and Si?OtBu groups are useful for site‐selective formation of Si?O?Si linkages without cage structure deterioration. The Si?H group can be selectively hydrolyzed to form a Si?OH group in the presence of Et₂NOH, enabling the formation of the monosilanol compound (tBuO)₇(HO)Si₈O₁₂. The Si?OH group can be used for either intermolecular condensation to form a dimeric cage compound or silylation to introduce new reaction sites. Additionally, the alkoxy groups of (tBuO)₇HSi₈O₁₂ can be treated with organochlorosilanes in the presence of a BiCl₃ catalyst to form Si?O?Si linkages, while the Si?H group remains intact. These results indicate that such bifunctional cage siloxanes allow for stepwise Si?O?Si bond formation to design new siloxane‐based nanomaterials.     

Characterization of the surface content,hydrolysis ratio,and condensation degree of polyalkoxysiloxane segregated to the surface of a polyurethane crosslinked film by X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy

We report, using an electron spectrometer equipped with both monochromatized Al Kα and unmonochromatized Mg Kα sources, the quantitative characterization of the surface content, hydrolysis ratio, and condensation degree of polyalkoxysiloxane segregated to the surface of a polyurethane crosslinked film consisting of acryl polyol, polyisocyanate, and polyalkoxysiloxane. Unmonochromatized Mg Kα X‐ray irradiation extremely accelerated the decomposition of alkoxy groups of polyalkoxysiloxane. The surface content and hydrolysis ratio were determined from C 1s, Si 2p, and N 1s spectral intensities measured with monochromatized Al Kα X rays after decomposition by unmonochromatized Mg Kα X‐ray irradiation. The condensation degree was determined by the kinetic energy of the silicon KLL Auger electron after decomposition. We applied the established characterization method for a polyurethane film containing polyalkoxysiloxane. After 20 days, the surface content of polyalkoxysiloxane was greater than 60 wt %, the hydrolysis ratio ranged from 0.8 to 0.95, and the higher hydrolysis ratio resulted in a larger condensation degree. The hydrophilicity of the film surface became higher as the surface content and hydrolysis ratio increased, and the crack density became higher as the condensation degree increased. A method for characterizing the practical properties of coating film surfaces containing polyalkoxysiloxane was established. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 40: 2917–2926, 2002     

甲基三乙氧基硅烷修饰的Ti3+/SiO2复合薄膜的发光性能

采用溶胶-凝胶(Sol-Gel)法, 以正硅酸乙酯(TEOS)和甲基三乙氧基硅烷(MTES)为先驱物, 盐酸为催化剂, 用二步水解法制备了Ti3+/SiO2薄膜和甲基三乙氧基硅烷修饰的Ti3+/SiO2复合薄膜. 采用红外光谱仪、X射线衍射仪、椭偏仪、荧光光谱仪等对膜层性质进行了分析. 结果表明, 掺杂Ti3+的SiO2薄膜分别在250 nm附近有一弱的激发峰, 294 nm附近有一强的激发峰, 在393 nm附近出现一强的发射峰. IR光谱发现, MTES修饰的Ti3+/SiO2复合薄膜的Si—OH的吸收峰强度比Ti3+/SiO2薄膜的略减小, Si—O—Si的吸收峰明显增强, 表明复合薄膜硅氧网络结构更规则, 有利于Ti3+的均匀分散. Ti3+/SiO2薄膜与复合薄膜的孔隙率分别为13.64%和6.66%, 表明MTES的加入使薄膜更致密. 在空气中陈放30 d后, Ti3+/SiO2薄膜已经检测不到荧光发射峰, 而MTES修饰的Ti3+/SiO2复合薄膜荧光强度只下降了18%. 在氮气中陈放30 d后, 普通薄膜与复合薄膜的荧光强度均仅下降了10%. 表明Ti3+的荧光猝灭的主要原因是由于Ti3+被氧化造成的. 溶胶中加入MTES后, 薄膜表面结构得到改善, 有效地防止了Ti3+的氧化, 荧光强度更稳定.     

Chemically stable hybrid polymer electrolyte membranes prepared by radiation grafting,sulfonation, and silane‐crosslinking techniques

To prepare a crosslinked hybrid polymer electrolyte membrane (PEM) with high chemical stability, a silane monomer, namely p‐styryltrimethoxysilane (StSi), was first grafted to poly(ethylene‐co‐tetrafluoroethylene) (ETFE) film by γ‐ray preirradiation. Hydrolysis‐condensation and sulfonation were then performed on the StSi‐grafted ETFE (StSi‐g‐ETFE) films to give them crosslinks and proton conductibility, respectively. Thus, a crosslinked proton‐conducting hybrid PEM was obtained. The crosslinks introduced by the silane‐condensation have an inorganic ? Si? O? Si? structure, which enhance the chemical and thermal stabilities of the PEM. The effect of the timing of the hydrolysis‐condensation (before or after sulfonation) and the sulfonation method (by chlorosulfonic acid or H₂SO₄) on the properties of the resulting hybrid PEMs such as ion‐exchange capacity, proton conductivity, water uptake, chemical stability, and methanol permeability were investigated to confirm their applicability in fuel cells. We conclude that the properties of the new crosslinked hybrid StSi‐grafted PEMs are superior to divinylbenzene (DVB)‐crosslinked styrene‐grafted membranes. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 46: 5559–5567, 2008     

Solid polymer electrolytes I,preparation, characterization,and ionic conductivity of gelled polymer electrolytes based on novel crosslinked siloxane/poly(ethylene glycol) polymers

A series of crosslinked siloxane/poly(ethylene glycol) (Si–PEG) copolymers were synthesized from the reactive methoxy‐functional silicone resin (Si resin) and PEGs with different molecular weights via two kinds of crosslinking reactions during an in situ curing stage. One of the crosslinking reactions is the self‐condensation between two methoxy groups in the Si resin, and another one is an alkoxy‐exchange reaction between the methoxy group in the Si resin and the OH group in PEG. The synthesized crosslinked copolymers were characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, DSC, and ¹³C NMR. The crosslinked copolymers were stable in a moisture‐free environment, but the Si? O? C linkages were hydrolyzed in humid conditions. The gel‐like solid polymer electrolytes (SPEs) were prepared by impregnating these crosslinked Si–PEG copolymers in a propylene carbonate (LiClO₄/PC) solution. The highest conductivity reached 2.4 × 10^?4 S cm^?1 at 25 °C and increased to 8.7 × 10^?4 S cm^?1 at 85 °C. The conductivities of these gel‐type SPEs were affected by the content of LiClO₄/PC, the molecular weights of PEGs, and the weight fraction of the Si resin. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 42: 2051–2059, 2004     

Preparation and properties of alkoxy(methyl)silsesquioxanes as coating agents

Polysilsesquioxanes were prepared through the acid‐catalyzed hydrolytic polycondensation of triethoxy(methyl)silane, triisopropoxy(methyl)silane, or triisobutoxy(methyl)silane and subjected to dip coating to form coating films. The film formation depended on the polarity and crystallinity of the substrate, and a correlation was found between the substrate and polysilsesquioxane solubility parameters. When the coating film was heated, thermal condensation occurred at about 500 °C between hydroxy groups or between hydroxy and alkoxy groups. The methyl group attached to silicon decomposed, and siloxane bonding formed at about 800 °C. The adhesion and hardness of the coating films were evaluated with the Japanese Industrial Standard K5400 protocol, and they increased with increases in the heating time and heat‐treatment temperature. The refractive index of the coating films decreased when the heat‐treatment temperature was increased to 500 °C because of the combustion of organic groups. In contrast, the surface electric resistance increased with the heat‐treatment temperature up to 500 °C. The dielectric constant was 2.6–2.8 and decreased with an increases in the molecular weight and the degree of crosslinking of the polysilsesquioxanes. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 42: 3676–3684, 2004     

Active‐center equilibrium in Ziegler–Natta butadiene polymerization

The Ziegler–Natta‐catalyzed polymerization of 1,3‐butadiene was investigated at a low aluminum alkyl/cobalt (Al/Co) ratio using two different soluble catalyst systems: cobalt(II) octanoate/diethylaluminum chloride/water and cobalt(II) octanoate/methylaluminoxane/tert‐butyl chloride. When the active‐center concentration was determined by the number‐average molecular weight technique, it was found that the percentage of active cobalt depended on the Al/Co ratio. Subsequently, an equilibrium reaction was proposed to be Co + 2Al ? CoAl₂, where Co is cobalt(II) octanoate, Al is either of the aluminum alkyl‐activator species, and CoAl₂ is the active catalyst. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 39: 2256–2261, 2001     

Novel silicon‐containing spiroorthoester to confer combined flame retardancy and low shrinkage properties to epoxy resins

A new silicon‐containing spiroorthoester, 1,4,6‐trioxaspiro [4,4]‐2‐nonylmethyl 3‐trimethylsilyl propionate (SOE? Si), was synthesized with good yield by an esterification reaction with a previously synthesized 2‐hydroxymethyl‐1,4,6‐trioxaspiro [4,4] nonane (SOE? OH) and trimethylsilyl propionic acid. The structure of the new SOE? Si was confirmed by ¹H and ³C NMR. The SOE? Si and a mixture of DGEBA/SOE? Si were polymerized with ytterbium triflate as a cationic initiator. The curing was studied with differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and monitored by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. The materials were characterized with DSC, termogravimetric analysis (TGA) and thermodynamomechanical analysis (DMTA). The volume change was evaluated with a Micromeritics gas pycnometer and the flame retardancy was tested by the limiting oxygen index (LOI) measurements. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 45: 4211–4224, 2007     

Mutable Lewis and Brønsted acidity of aluminated SBA-15 as revealed by NMR of adsorbed pyridine-15N

(1)H and variable-temperature (15)N NMR techniques have been used to study the effect of the gradual alumination of SBA-15 on the structure and adsorption properties of this mesoporous material. The interpretation of experimental spectra suggests that aluminum chlorhydrol most effectively reacts with silica surfaces in the confinement of the cavities of rough mesopore walls, instead of forming a homogeneous aluminum film. This first leads to a gradual filling of the cavities and finally results in aluminum islands on the inner surfaces of mesopores. In the sample with a Si/Al atomic ratio of 4.1, up to half of the inner surface area of the mesopores is covered with aluminum. The alumination produces Br?nsted acid sites attributed to silanol groups interacting with aluminum but does not affect the proton-donating ability of isolated silanol groups. At high Si/Al ratios, the surface contains only one type of Lewis site attributed to tetracoordinated aluminum. At lower Si/Al ratios, Lewis acid sites with a lower electron-accepting ability appear, as attributed to pentacoordinated aluminum. The numerical values of the surface densities of all chemically active sites have been estimated after annealing at 420 and 700 K. We were surprised to observe that gaseous nitrogen can occupy Lewis acid sites and hinder the interaction of the aluminum with any other electron donor. As a result, aluminated surfaces saturated with nitrogen do not exhibit any Br?nsted or Lewis acidity. At room temperature, it takes days before pyridine replaces nitrogen at the Lewis acid sites.     

液相沉积法制备TiO2颗粒表面包覆SiO2纳米膜

研究了用液相沉积法在TiO2颗粒表面包覆SiO2纳米膜的过程.通过透射电镜(TEM)和酸溶实验分析,证实本实验在TiO2颗粒表面包覆了一层连续、致密的SiO2纳米膜.ζ-电位分析表明,颗粒表面只需少量包覆就可以显著改变颗粒表面的电动力学行为.采用 X射线荧光光谱分析仪（XRF）测定SiO2包覆量随包覆过程的变化.通过X射线光电子能谱（XPS）分析,获得Ti 2p、Si 2p及 O 1s电子结合能及其相对强度随包覆过程的变化规律,揭示硅酸分子在TiO2颗粒表面的包覆过程.分析表明,初期形成的活性硅酸分子与TiO2颗粒表面的羟基反应形成Ti－O－Si键,后期形成的硅酸分子与已键合在表面的硅酸发生缩合反应,形成连续致密的硅膜,膜层在陈化过程中继续缓慢生长.     

Synthesis,morphology, and properties of hydroxyl terminated‐POSS/polyimide low‐k nanocomposite films

Polyhedral oligomeric silsequioxane (POSS), having eight hydroxyl groups for the preparation of nanocomposites with polyimide (PI) was synthesized by the direct hydrosilylation of allyl alcohol with octasilsesquioxane (Q₈M₈^H) with platinum divinyltetramethyl disiloxane Pt(dvs) as a catalyst. The structure of allyl alcohol terminated‐POSS (POSS‐OH) was confirmed by FTIR, NMR, and XRD. A high performance, low‐k PI nanocomposite from pyromellitic dianhydride (PMDA)‐4,4'‐oxydianiline (ODA) polyamic acid cured with POSS‐OH was also successfully synthesized. The incorporation of POSS‐OH into PI matrix reduced dielectric constant of PI without loosing mechanical properties. Furthermore, the effects of POSS‐OH on the morphology and properties of the PI/POSS‐OH nanocomposites were investigated using UV–vis, FTIR, XRD, SEM, AFM, transmission electron microscope (TEM), TGA, and contact angle. The homogeneous dispersion of POSS particles was confirmed by SEM, AFM, and TEM. The nanoindentation showed that the modulus increased upon increasing the concentration of POSS‐OH in PI, whereas the hardness did not increase very much with respect to loading of POSS, due to soft‐interphase around POSS molecules in the resulting nanocomposites. Overall results demonstrated the nanometer‐level integration of the polymer and POSS‐OH. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 46: 5887–5896, 2008     

Mechanistic insight into initiation and chain transfer reaction of CO2/cyclohexene oxide copolymerization catalyzed by zinc?cobalt double metal cyanide complex catalysts

Although zinc? cobalt (III) double metal cyanide complex (Zn? Co (III) DMCC) catalyst is a highly active and selective catalyst for carbon dioxide (CO₂)/cyclohexene oxide (CHO) copolymerization, the structure of the resultant copolymer is poorly understood and the catalytic mechanism is still unclear. Combining the results of kinetic study and electrospray ionization‐mass spectrometry (ESI‐MS) spectra for CO₂/CHO copolymerization catalyzed by Zn? Co (III) DMCC catalyst, we disclosed that (1) the short ether units were mainly generated at the early stage of the copolymerization, and were hence in the “head” of the copolymer and (2) all resultant PCHCs presented two end hydroxyl (? OH) groups. One end ? OH group came from the initiation of zinc? hydroxide (Zn? OH) bond and the other end ? OH group was produced by the chain transfer reaction of propagating chain to H₂O (or free copolymer). Adding t‐BuOH (CHO: t‐BuOH = 2:1, v/v) to the reaction system led to the production of fully alternating PCHCs and new active site of Zn? Ot‐Bu, which was proved by the observation of PCHCs with one end ? Ot‐Bu (and ? OCOOt‐Bu) group from ESI‐MS and ¹³C NMR spectra. Moreover, Zn?OH bond in Zn? Co (III) DMCC catalyst was also characterized by the combined results from FT‐IR, TGA and elemental analysis. This work provided new evidences that CO₂/CHO copolymerization was initiated by metal? OH bond. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem, 2012     

含氟高分子/SiO2杂化疏水材料的制备及涂层表面性质

采用自由基溶液聚合与溶胶-凝胶法相结合的方法制备了含氟高分子/SiO2杂化疏水材料.通过甲基丙烯酸十二氟庚酯(FA)与乙烯基三乙氧基硅烷(VTES)共聚合成了含氟硅共聚物(PFAS),进一步通过原硅酸乙酯(TEOS)与PFAS共聚物溶液共水解缩聚制备了具有含氟侧基的碳碳主链高分子和硅氧网络的含氟高分子/SiO2杂化疏水材料.研究结果表明,SiO2组分含量提高可以显著增加杂化材料薄膜的涂敷厚度,改善其耐久性能,而对杂化材料疏水性能的影响不大.     

Characterization of the benzene-insoluble fraction of the hydrolyzate of phenyltrimethoxysilanes in the presence of benzyltrimethylammonium hydroxide

The insoluble fraction obtained from the hydrolysis and condensation of (4-dimethylamino-, 2-methyl-, and nonsubstituted)phenyltrimethoxysilanes in the presence of benzyltrimethylammonium hydroxide in benzene was characterized. IR, ¹H NMR, and ²⁹Si NMR suggested that the insoluble fraction was composed of RSi(O )₃, that is, a T³ structure. X-ray diffraction indicated the presence of a long-range ordered structure composed of a mixture of crystals. Raman spectroscopy strongly suggested a cage structure by the presence of a ring-opening vibration assignable to a cubic structure at 475–482 cm⁻¹. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 42: 4587–4597, 2004     

Synthesis of poly(phosphonosiloxane) and its cyclic monomer via hydrosilylation and phosphonylation of vinylbenzyl chloride

Phosphonylation of polysiloxane and cyclosiloxane oligomers is described. Hydrosilylation of vinylbenzyl chloride (VBC) with a poly(methylhydrosiloxane), or its cyclic monomer, followed by phosphonylation with triethyl phosphite leads to the production of stable phosphonosiloxanes that are characterized by  Si C and  C P bonds. The polymer, which is a liquid with a glass transition temperature of −38.3 °C, is soluble in alcohols and an alcohol and water mixture. The phosphonylated siloxanes dissolve and chelate uranyl nitrate and transition metal salts. The hydrosilylation of VBC yields α and β isomers:  Si CH₂ CH₂ and  Si CH(CH₃); the ratio between these two depends upon the type of solvent and the reaction conversion. A kinetic study of the hydrosilylation reaction of VBC suggests a second order in respect to the reactants. The reaction rate is dependent upon the catalyst concentration and temperature. Hydrosilylation of vinylbenzyl phosphonate could not be accomplished with the platinum (complex) catalyst; this is attributed to the presence of phosphoryl groups that are strong electron donors. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci A: Polym Chem 37: 4043–4053, 1999     

三甲基氯硅烷对纳米多孔二氧化硅薄膜的修饰

以正硅酸乙酯为先驱体,采用溶胶-凝胶法,结合旋转涂胶、超临界干燥工艺在硅片上制备了纳米多孔SiO2薄膜.用三甲基氯硅烷(TMCS)对该SiO2薄膜进行了表面修饰,采用FTIR、TG-DTA、AFM和椭偏仪等方法研究了TMCS修饰前后薄膜的结构、形貌、厚度与介电常数等性能.超临界干燥后的SiO2薄膜含有Si－O－Si与Si－OR结构,呈疏水性.在空气中250 ℃以上热处理后SiO2薄膜因含有Si－OH而呈吸水性. TMCS修饰后的SiO2薄膜在温度不高于450 ℃时可保持其疏水性和多孔结构. SiO2薄膜经TMCS修饰后基本粒子和孔隙尺寸增大,孔隙率提高,介电常数可降低至2.5以下.     

Effect of nitrogen on mechanical,oxidation and structural behaviour of Ti–Si–B–C–N nanocomposite hard coatings deposited by DC sputtering

Ti–Si–B–C–N film was deposited by DC magnetron sputtering at different argon and nitrogen ratios such as N₂/Ar = 1 : 5, 2 : 4, 3 : 3, 4 : 1 and 5 : 0. The formation of TiN and TiB phases was observed because of incorporation of nitrogen. The hardness, modulus, microstructure, structure and bond formation with different nitrogen contents during the deposition were studied by nanoindentation, scanning electron microscope, X‐ray diffraction and X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy, respectively. The oxidation kinetics of Ti–Si–B–C–N was investigated. The nitrogen incorporation during deposition influences different properties of the coating. Hardness and modulus decreased, and microstructure showed very fine grain presence, and film changes to fully amorphous because of incorporation of nitrogen in the film. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Syntheses of biphenyl‐terminated polyhedral oligomeric octasilicate‐core dendrimers and their single‐component optical transparent free‐standing thermoplastic films

2‐Biphenylethyl and 2‐biphenylhexyl‐terminated polyhedral oligomeric octasilicate (OS)‐core polyester‐typed dendrimers, denoted as OS‐C2‐BP and OS‐C6‐BP, respectively, were prepared by ring‐opening reaction and subsequent condensation of octakis(propenyl succinicanhydrido)polyhedral octasilicate (OS‐SA) with 2‐(4‐phenylphenoxy)ethanol (BP‐C2‐OH) and 6‐(4‐phenylphenoxy)hexanol (BP‐C6‐OH), respectively. OS‐C2‐BP formed a transparent film, whereas OS‐C6‐BP formed an opaque whitish waxy film. The coating film of OS‐C2‐BP was easily peeled off from a substrate and formed a free‐standing film. The results of X‐ray diffraction and differential scanning calorimeter suggest that the film of OS‐C2‐BP was amorphous, whereas OS‐C6‐BP contained crystalline domains. Thermogravimetric analysis of OS‐C2‐BP and OS‐C6‐BP showed 5 wt % weight losses at 362 °C and 283 °C, respectively. OS‐C2‐BP offered higher thermal resistance than OS‐C6‐BP. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2015 , 53, 1437–1443     

Spectroscopic studies of triethoxysilane sol-gel and coating process

Silica sol-gels have been prepared under different conditions using triethoxysilane (TES) as precursor. The prepared sol-gels have been used to coat aluminum for corrosion protection. Vibrational assignments have been made for most vibration bands of TES, TES sol-gel, TES sol-gel-coated aluminum and xerogel. It has been noticed that air moisture may have helped the hydrolysis of the thin coating films. Xerogels have been obtained from the sol-gel under different temperature conditions and the resulting samples have been characterized by using infrared and Raman spectroscopic methods. IR data indicate that the sol-gel process is incomplete under the ambient conditions although an aqueous condition can have slightly improved the process. Two nonequivalent silicon atoms have been identified from the collected (29)Si NMR spectra for the sol-gel, supporting the result derived from the IR data. The frequency of SiH bending vibration has been found to be more sensitive to the skeletal structure than that of the SiH stretching vibration. A higher temperature condition could favor the progression of hydrolysis and condensation. A temperature higher than 300 degrees C would cause sample decomposition without seriously damaging the silica network. From infrared intensity measurements and thermo-gravimetric analyses, the fractions of incomplete hydrolysis and condensation species have been estimated to be 4% and 3%, respectively. Electrochemical data have shown that the sol-gel coating significantly improves the corrosion protection properties of aluminum.