Sol-gel silica films doped with chromium (III) acetylacetonate on aluminium substrate

Sol-gel silica films doped with Cr(aCaC)(3) and having ca. 100 nm thickness on aluminium,IIII substrate were synthesised by dip-coating from the pre-cursor composition prepared by TEOS acidic hydrolysis. It has been found Out the that the C = O groups of doping Cr(acac)(3) molecules are involved into interaction with silica network terminated with silanol groups. Upon thermal treatment of Cr(acac)(3)-SiO2 film in air, the ligand elimination from doping Cr(acac)(3) molecules took place, resulting in complete thermolysis at 613) K. The latter was accompanied by oxidation of Cr (III) to Cr (VI).