Germanium dioxide, often referred to as germania, is capable of various useful applications in fields such as electronics and optics. An understanding of the reaction kinetics of germania particle formation is important to understanding the crystalline/amorphous states of germania particles, which will allow for better control over the crystallinity of the resultant particles. This study mapped out the reaction kinetics of the formation of germania particles via a sol-gel reaction. As the reaction progresses, structural phase changes as the formed germania particles begin in an amorphous state and transition to crystalline as the reaction nears completion. The progress of the reaction was monitored using Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) and Raman spectroscopy as well as using X-ray diffraction (XRD), which showed that the polycrystalline agglomerates could be achieved within a few hours of the start of the reaction at elevated temperatures. New spectroscopic method based on analyzing the peak shape and position of the characteristic Ge-O-Ge symmetric stretch in Raman spectra, and the <b></b>3 mode of the GeO4 in FTIR was developed to assess GeO2 crystallinity.  Other methods such as scanning electron microscopy (SEM) are also being used to confirm this structural evolution of amorphous germania further.

Time-dependent spectroscopic study of sol-gel germania colloid growth

ACS Spring 2022

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