Influence of the microstructure on the macroscopic elastic and optical properties of dried sonogels: A Brillouin spectroscopic study

Abstract

The elastic and optical properties of organically modified silicates prepared by ultrasonics aided polycondensation of tetraethoxysilane and polidimethylsiloxane are studied by means of high resolution Brillouin spectroscopy. Nuclear magnetic resonance data evidence the microseparation of the organic and inorganic phases for the systems with high content of polymer formation. The elastic and optical properties are clearly influenced by the change in microstructure. We propose a three component mechanical model that qualitatively explains the observed variation of the elastic constant c11 versus molar fraction of dimethylsiloxane in these vitreous materials and develop a structural model that accounts for the observed dynamical behavior.