Synthesis of oriented meso-structure silica film by ferrocenyl surfactant

Self-assembly of organic-inorganic molecules into highly order nanostructured architectures have attracted increasing attention because these materials provide a rich source for scientific research and technological applications. We report the synthesis of an oriented silica meso-structured film by ferrocenyl surfactant templating using a spin coating method. The oriented silica meso-structure film was prepared as follows: tetraethoxysilane (TEOS) was partially hydrolyzed by a substoichiometric amount of pure water mixed with ethanol (EtOH) under acidic condition. The solution became homogeneous as the hydrolysis proceeded, then, ferrocenyl TMA was added, the mixture was stirred at room temperature for about 1 hour, and finally, the film was obtained by spin coating the hybrid sol. X-ray diffraction pattern of the film showed that the film oriented in a lamellar structure with (100) d-space of 36.3 A. The optical and electronic conductivity properties of the film have also been explored.