Applications of the Sol-Gel Process Using Well-Tested Recipes

Simple syntheses of glassy materials are proposed in this article. All of them are based on the sol–gel process and the polycondensation of metallo-organic molecular precursors in a solvent. The basic chemical reactions are reviewed, and the main steps of the process—namely the sol–gel transition and the drying of the resultant gel—are described. Several materials designed for various kinds of applications may be easily obtained through these procedures. We describe how to obtain a bulk borosilicate glass, silica xerogel, aerogel and fibers, and colored transparent coatings on glass substrates. All these well-tried recipes lead to “nice” materials in a short time, and hence are of practical use in teaching sol–gel chemistry.