Preparation of Silica Nanoparticles Through Microwave-assisted Acid-catalysisDerek D. Lovingood 1, Jeffrey R. Owens 2, Michael Seeber 3, Konstantin G. Kornev 3, Igor Luzinov 3
1Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education, 2Air Force Research Laboratory, Airbase Technology Division, 3School of Materials Science and Engineering, Clemson University
Silica nanoparticles were prepared using acid-catalysis of a siloxane precursor and microwave-assisted synthetic techniques resulting in the controlled growth of nanomaterials ranging from 30-250 nm in diameter. The growth dynamics can be controlled by varying the initial silicic acid concentration, time of the reaction, and temperature of reaction.