Development of a Model for the Formation of Materials with a Hierarchical Pore Structure Produced under Sol-Gel Processing Conditions

We have developed a model for the formation of silica-containing synthetic functional materials with a hierarchical pore structure and a large specific surface area under self-assembly conditions of sol-gel processes. The model includes the formation of a three-dimensional core (of a cristobalite type) of sol particles consisting of joined polymorphoids in the form of n-membered rings and a continuous transition between fractal aggregate growth mechanisms, from diffusion-limited to cluster-cluster aggregation, followed by evolution culminating in spinodal decomposition. Hierarchical structures have been studied using three-dimensional simulation with Autodesk 3ds Max software.