Exploring the 2017 International Sol-Gel Society Life Achievement Award and the fascinating science of crafting materials from the bottom up
Every two years, the International Sol-Gel Society (ISGS) bestows its highest honor, the Life Achievement Award, on a scientist who has profoundly enriched this fascinating field7 .
Sol-gel science is the art of crafting solid materials—from glass and ceramics to advanced nanomaterials—not by carving or melting, but by building them from the bottom up, molecule by molecule, starting from a solution1 3 . It's a realm where chemists act as architects, designing structures at the nanoscale to create materials with breathtaking precision and versatility.
Note on the 2017 Award: The identity of the 2017 ISGS Life Achievement Award winner is not included in the publicly available list7 . To find this specific information, we recommend checking the official International Sol-Gel Society (ISGS) website directly or searching through the archives of their official publications.
While the specific laureate for 2017 is not listed in the available records, the work such an award recognizes revolves around a transformative process. The sol-gel route is a "green" method, often taking place at room temperature and using water or alcohol as solvents, making it an environmentally friendly alternative to traditional, energy-intensive industrial processes6 .
Building materials atom by atom for unprecedented control over properties.
Environmentally friendly processes using water or alcohol as solvents.
From optics and electronics to medicine and energy technologies.
The sol-gel process begins with simple ingredients that, when combined with precise control, lead to complex and functional materials. The magic of this method lies in its two key steps: first, forming a 'sol' (a colloidal suspension of tiny solid particles in a liquid), and then orchestrating its transition into a 'gel'—a solid, sponge-like network that encapsulates the liquid phase1 3 .
| Reagent | Function in the Process | Common Examples |
|---|---|---|
| Precursors | The starting molecules that form the backbone of the final material. | Metal alkoxides (e.g., Titanium isopropoxide, TEOS), metal chlorides1 3 . |
| Solvent | The liquid medium where hydrolysis and condensation reactions occur. | Water, ethanol, isopropanol2 6 9 . |
| Catalyst | Used to accelerate and control the rates of the key chemical reactions. | Acids (e.g., HCl, acetic acid) or bases1 2 . |
| Additives | Used to modify the final material's properties, stabilize the solution, or control pore size. | Surfactants, chelating agents (e.g., citric acid in the Pechini process)1 3 . |
Precursor molecules are dissolved in a solvent, forming a colloidal suspension of solid particles in liquid.
Precursor molecules react with water, replacing alkoxide groups with hydroxyl groups.
Hydroxyl groups on adjacent molecules link together, forming oxygen bridges and creating a network.
The solution transforms into a gel—a solid network that encapsulates the liquid phase.
The gel is aged to strengthen the network, then dried to remove the liquid phase.
Heat treatment (calcination) removes organic residues and develops the final material structure.
To truly appreciate the power of sol-gel, let's examine a real-world experiment: the fabrication of a transparent conducting oxide (TCO) tin oxide (SnO₂) thin film for use in solar cells9 . This application perfectly illustrates how a low-cost solution-based method can create a high-tech material.
| Precursor | Stannous Chloride (SnCl₂·2H₂O) |
| Solvent | Ethanol (C₂H₅OH) |
| Catalyst | Hydrochloric Acid (HCl) |
| Stirring Temperature | 75 °C |
| Stirring Time | 2 hours |
| Aging Time | 72 hours |
| Coating Method | Dip Coating |
| Number of Dips | 16 |
| Annealing Furnace | Muffle Furnace |
| Thickness | 144 nm |
| Resistivity | 2.27 Ω-cm |
| Average Transmittance (300-1200 nm) | ~70% |
| Band Gap | 3.533 eV |
A glass slide is meticulously cleaned in an ultrasonic bath with ethanol to remove any dust or contaminants that could disrupt the film's growth9 .
6.7 grams of dehydrated stannous chloride (SnCl₂·2H₂O) is dissolved in 80 ml of ethanol. A few drops of hydrochloric acid (HCl) are added as a catalyst9 .
The clean glass substrate is dipped into the gel and withdrawn at a controlled speed. This deposits a wet, gel-like film on its surface9 .
The coated substrate is placed in a muffle furnace and heated (annealed). This process relieves internal stresses, removes residual solvents, and crystallizes the SnO₂ film9 .
This experiment demonstrates a cost-effective, scalable path to producing essential components for solar cells and touchscreens, rivaling more expensive materials like indium tin oxide (ITO)9 .
Sol-gel science is far more than an academic curiosity; it is an enabling technology that continues to push boundaries. This molecular-level control allows scientists to create materials with tailored properties for nearly every corner of modern technology, from optics and electronics to medicine and energy1 .
Its "green" credentials are being harnessed to create new hybrid materials for proton-conducting membranes in fuel cells and water electrolysis units, crucial for a sustainable energy future6 .
In medicine, sol-gel derived amorphous calcium phosphate (ACP) nanoparticles are being synthesized with the help of natural templates like brown rice, resulting in non-cytotoxic materials with promising antibacterial properties for therapeutic applications5 .
From the intricate nanostructures that make up an aerogel to the anti-reflective coating on a camera lens, the sol-gel process proves that some of the most advanced materials are built from the humblest of beginnings: a solution.