Preparation and nitrogen sorption characteristics of Silica aerogel suitable for sensor applications

Mesoporous silicates have been investigated extensively in recent years for use in sensor systems. Silica aerogels are remarkable for their unique and exceptional properties like high surface area, high meso porosity, low density and tunable pore size and finds potential application in the field of sensor fabrication. Silica gels were prepared through sol-gel process and converted into silica aerogel through super critical drying method using isopropyl alcohol as a solvent. The surface area, pore size distribution, micropore analysis, was carried out using BET method. Low density silica aerogel with 0.30 g/cm³-density and surface area of 350–650 m²/g were prepared.