Journal of the Association for Laboratory Automation, 2000
S ol-gel chemistry provides a novel production route for ceramics and composites that have a vari... more S ol-gel chemistry provides a novel production route for ceramics and composites that have a variety of applications in medicine, biology, and biochemistry. Advantages of sol-gel-derived materials in these applications include simple, low temperature production routes that are capable of achieving temperature, chemical, and radiation-inert porous materials with a wide range of structural and microstructural properties. Furthermore, sol-gel-derived materials display remarkable compatibility with biomacromolecules and are conveniently functionalized with a variety of coupling agents. The properties of these materials and their present and potential applications in medicine and biology are reviewed. BACKGROUND The term sol-gel indicates a low temperature production route whereby a ceramic or ceramic composite material is formed. Originally developed for the nuclear industry to aid in fuel processing, sol-gel-derived materials have found a wide range of applications including microelectronics, solar cells, intelligent coatings, 1 batteries, 2 and catalysis, as well as in clinical and analytical chemistry. The term sol refers to a colloidal suspension of solid particles that, under the proper conditions, condense with one another or with unreacted precursor to form an irregular, non-crystalline, three-dimensional network that spans the entire volume of a vessel. The resulting network can be described as a gel when a path can be traced from one boundary point of the vessel to another without leaving the solid phase, although further condensation may still be occurring. The gel network is most commonly very porous (sometimes in excess of 99%), and is often denoted by the interstitial fluid. The fluid phase in hydrogels is thus water or aqueous solution, in alcogels it is alcoholic solutions, and in aerogels it is air or other gases. The gelation reaction can occur in any number of solvents and is commonly catalyzed by changes in pH or stoichiometry of the reactants. Unlike many organic polymer hydrogels, solvent Applications for Sol-Gel-Derived Materials in Medicine and Biology B y J o h n F. C o n r o y , M a r y E .
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