Photoluminescence properties of silica aerogel during sintering process

We report photoluminescence spectra measured for two series of silica aerogel sintered at 1000 degrees C in different time intervals. In the photoluminescence spectra of nonsintered sample, bands at 1.8, 2.0 and 2.2 eV are identified. During sintering process, the bands at 1.8 and 2.0 eV decrease and vanish, while the band at 2.2 eV shows more complicated behavior. According to infrared spectra of the same samples we find that the photoluminescence band at 1.8 eV originates from nonbridged oxygen hole center defect, and that at 2.0 eV originates from silane in the gel network. Nonstoichiometric SiOx causes photoluminescence band at 2.2 eV.