Borosilicate sols with various boron:silicon ratios were prepared from an anhydrous boric acid (H3BO3)-ethanol (C2H5OH)-tetraethyl orthosilicate (TEOS) mixture, and dip-coated onto microscope slide substrates under N-2 protection. Transparent crack-free films were obtained when the molar ratio of boric acid to TEOS was between 0.66:1 and 1.33:1. NMR (Si-29 and B-11) and IR spectroscopic techniques were used to infer the formation of borosiloxane (=B-O-S equivalent to) linkages in the anhydrous sols, and their susceptibility to hydrolysis by atmospheric moisture was observed. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.