The Current State of Sol-Gel Technology

The current state of sol-gel technology has been reviewed mainly from the standpoint of microstructums of materials which can be achieved by the sol-gel method. It has been shown that the sol-gel method makes it possible to produce a great variety of high technology materials by providing the existing substances with a significant microstructure and producing the material with a novel microstructure. There are microstructums characterized by micropores, preferential crystal orientation, inorganic-organic and inorganic-inorganic composites of hybrid nature and gradient composition. These characteristic microstructures are related to the properties and applications of the materials.