Modified hybrid silica aerogels
AssigneeAspen Aerogels, Inc.
InventorsWendell E Rhine, Decio Coutinho, Kiranmayi Deshpande
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Abstract
Disclosed and claimed herein are hybrid silica aerogels containing non-polymeric, functional organic materials covalently bonded at one or both ends to the silica network of the aerogels through a C—Si bond between a carbon atom of the organic material and a silicon atom of the aerogel network. Methods of their preparation are also disclosed.
Claims16
An aerogel composition comprising a silica-based network and a non-polymeric organic material covalently bonded at one or both ends to the silica-based network through a C—Si bond between a carbon atom of the organic material and a silicon atom of the network, wherein the non-polymeric organic material comprises branched or unbranched alkyl chains of 1 -40 carbon atoms with at least one of OH, NHR, SH, OH-terminated alkoxy, OH-terminated carboxy, and OH-terminated phenolic groups attached to the chain, wherein a heteroatom may optionally be a part of the chain, and wherein R includes a silyl group.
A method of preparing an aerogel composition comprising the steps of:
- a. forming a pre-gel mixture by combining a solvent, at least one partially or fully hydrolyzed tetraalkoxysilane, and at least one trialkoxysilane covalently bonded at one or both ends to a non-polymeric organic material through a C—Si bond between a carbon atom of the organic material and a silicon atom of the silica network, wherein the non-polymeric organic material comprises branched or unbranched alkyl chains of C1-C40 with at least one of OH, NHR, SH, OH-terminated alkoxy, carboxy, phenolic groups are attached to the chain, wherein a heteroatom may optionally be a part of the chain, and wherein R includes a silyl group;
- b. allowing the pre-gel mixture to form a gel;
- and
- c. drying the gel to obtain an aerogel.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.