Name: Aesthetically Enhanced Silica Aerogel Via Incorporation of Laser Etching and Dyes (Video) | JoVE Journal
Uploaded: 2021-03-12T13:00:00.000+00:00
Duration: 8 min 21 s
Description: Learn laser engraving techniques for customizing silica aerogel monoliths with text, patterns, and images. This method enables precise aesthetic enhancement of lightweight materials for artwork and sustainable building applications.

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The authors would like to acknowledge the Union College Faculty Research Fund, Student Research Grant program, and the summer undergraduate research program for financial support of the project. The authors would also like to acknowledge Joana Santos for the design of the three-piece mold, Chris Avanessian for SEM imaging, Ronald Tocci for etching onto the curved aerogel surface, and Dr. Ioannis Michaloudis for inspiration and initial work on the etching project as well as for providing the Kouros image and cylindrical aerogel.

<ol><li><a target="_blank" href="http://scholar.google.com/scholar?hl=en&safe=off&q=%22Aerogels+Handbook%22">Aerogels Handbook</a>. Aegerter, M. A., Leventis, N., Koebel, M. M. , Springer. New York. (2011).</li>
<li>Pierre, A. C., Pajonk, G. M. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed?term=((Chemistry+of+aerogels+and+their+applications%5BTitle%5D)+AND+%22Chemical+Reviews%22%5BJournal%5D)">Chemistry of aerogels and their applications.</a> Chemical Reviews. 102 (11), 4243-4266 (2002).</li>
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<li>Stanec, A. M., Anderson, A. M., Avanessian, C., Carroll, M. K. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed?term=((Analysis+and+characterization+of+etched+silica+aerogels%5BTitle%5D)+AND+%22Journal+of+Sol-Gel+Science+and+Technology%22%5BJournal%5D)">Analysis and characterization of etched silica aerogels.</a> Journal of Sol-Gel Science and Technology. 94, 406-415 (2020).</li>
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<li>Vainos, N. A., Karoutsos, V., Mills, B., Eason, R. W., Prassas, M. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed?term=((Isotropic+contractive+scaling+of+laser+written+microstructures+in+vitrified+aerogels%5BTitle%5D)+AND+%22Optical+Materials+Express%22%5BJournal%5D)">Isotropic contractive scaling of laser written microstructures in vitrified aerogels.</a> Optical Materials Express. 6 (12), 3814-3825 (2016).</li>
<li>Plata, D. L., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed?term=((Aerogel-platform+optical+sensors+for+oxygen+gas%5BTitle%5D)+AND+%22Journal+of+Non-+Crystalline+Solids%22%5BJournal%5D)">Aerogel-platform optical sensors for oxygen gas.</a> Journal of Non- Crystalline Solids. 350, 326-335 (2004).</li>
<li>Carroll, M. K., Anderson, A. M. Aerogels as platforms for chemical sensors. <a target="_blank" href="http://scholar.google.com/scholar?hl=en&safe=off&q=author%3aCarroll%2C+MK+%22Aerogels+Handbook.+Advances+in+Sol-Gel+Derived+Materials+and+Technologies%22">Aerogels Handbook. Advances in Sol-Gel Derived Materials and Technologies</a>. Aegerter, M., Leventis, N., Koebel, M. , Springer. New York. (2011).</li>
<li>Bockhorst, M., Heinloth, K., Pajonk, G. M., Begag, R., Elaloui, E. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed?term=((Fluorescent+dye+doped+aerogels+for+the+enhancement+of+Cerenkov+light+detection%5BTitle%5D)+AND+%22Journal+of+Non-Crystalline+Solids%22%5BJournal%5D)">Fluorescent dye doped aerogels for the enhancement of Cerenkov light detection.</a> Journal of Non-Crystalline Solids. 186, 388-394 (1995).</li>
<li>Carroll, M. K., Anderson, A. M., Gorka, C. A. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed?term=((Preparing+silica+aerogel+monoliths+via+a+rapid+supercritical+extraction+method%5BTitle%5D)+AND+%22Journal+of+Visualized+Experiments%3A+JoVE%22%5BJournal%5D)">Preparing silica aerogel monoliths via a rapid supercritical extraction method.</a> Journal of Visualized Experiments: JoVE. (84), e51421(2014).</li>
<li>Gauthier, B. M., Bakrania, S. D., Anderson, A. M., Carroll, M. K. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed?term=((A+fast+supercritical+extraction+technique+for+aerogel+fabrication%5BTitle%5D)+AND+%22Journal+of+Non-Crystalline+Solids%22%5BJournal%5D)">A fast supercritical extraction technique for aerogel fabrication.</a> Journal of Non-Crystalline Solids. 350, 238-243 (2004).</li>
<li>Gauthier, B. M., Anderson, A. M., Bakrania, S. D., Mahony, M. K., Bucinell, R. B. Method and device for fabricating aerogels and aerogel monoliths obtained thereby. U.S. Patent. , 8080591 (2011).</li>
<li>Gauthier, B. M., Anderson, A. M., Bakrania, S. D., Mahony, M. K., Bucinell, R. B. Method and device for fabricating aerogels and aerogel monoliths obtained thereby. U.S. Patent. , 7384988 (2008).</li>
<li>Estok, S. K., Hughes, T. A., Carroll, M. K., Anderson, A. M. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed?term=((Fabrication+and+characterization+of+TEOS-based+silica+aerogels+prepared+using+rapid+supercritical+extraction%5BTitle%5D)+AND+%22Journal+of+Sol-gel+Science+and+Technology%22%5BJournal%5D)">Fabrication and characterization of TEOS-based silica aerogels prepared using rapid supercritical extraction.</a> Journal of Sol-gel Science and Technology. 70 (3), 371-377 (2014).</li>
<li>Roth, T. B., Anderson, A. M., Carroll, M. K. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed?term=((Analysis+of+a+rapid+supercritical+extraction+aerogel+fabrication+process%3A+Prediction+of+thermodynamic+conditions+during+processing%5BTitle%5D)+AND+%22Journal+of+Non-Crystalline+Solids%22%5BJournal%5D)">Analysis of a rapid supercritical extraction aerogel fabrication process: Prediction of thermodynamic conditions during processing.</a> Journal of Non-Crystalline Solids. 354 (31), 3685-3693 (2008).</li>
<li>Bouck, R. M., Anderson, A. M., Prasad, C., Hagerman, M. E., Carroll, M. K. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed?term=((Cobalt-alumina+sol+gels%3A+Effects+of+heat+treatment+on+structure+and+catalytic+ability%5BTitle%5D)+AND+%22Journal+of+Non-Crystalline+Solids%22%5BJournal%5D)">Cobalt-alumina sol gels: Effects of heat treatment on structure and catalytic ability.</a> Journal of Non-Crystalline Solids. 453, 94-102 (2016).</li>
<li>Dunn, N. J. H., Carroll, M. K., Anderson, A. M. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed?term=((Characterization+of+alumina+and+nickel-alumina+aerogels+prepared+via+rapid+supercritical+extraction%5BTitle%5D)+AND+%22Polymer+Preprints%22%5BJournal%5D)">Characterization of alumina and nickel-alumina aerogels prepared via rapid supercritical extraction.</a> Polymer Preprints. 52 (1), 250-251 (2011).</li>
<li>Tobin, Z. M., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed?term=((Preparation+and+characterization+of+copper-containing+alumina+and+silica+aerogels+for+catalytic+applications%5BTitle%5D)+AND+%22Journal+of+Sol-gel+Science+and+Technology%22%5BJournal%5D)">Preparation and characterization of copper-containing alumina and silica aerogels for catalytic applications.</a> Journal of Sol-gel Science and Technology. 84 (3), 432-445 (2017).</li>
<li>Tsou, P., Brownlee, D. E., Glesias, R., Grigoropoulos, C. P., Weschler, M. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed?term=((Cutting+silica+aerogel+for+particle+extraction%5BTitle%5D)+AND+%22Lunar+and+Planetary+Science+XXXVI.+Part+19%22%5BJournal%5D)">Cutting silica aerogel for particle extraction.</a> Lunar and Planetary Science XXXVI. Part 19. , (2005).</li>
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</ol>

The authors have nothing to disclose.

This protocol demonstrates how laser etching and the inclusion of dyes can be employed to prepare aesthetically pleasing aerogel materials.
Making large (10 cm x 11 cm x 1.5 cm) aerogel monoliths requires proper mold preparation through sanding, cleaning, and grease application to prevent the aerogel from sticking to the mold and major cracks from forming. The parts of the mold in direct contact with the precursor solution/soon to be formed aerogel are the most critical. Reducing the surface r...

Silica aerogel is a nanoporous, high surface area, acoustically insulating material with low thermal conductivity that can be used in a range of applications from collecting space dust to building insulation material1,2. When manufactured in monolithic form, silica aerogels are translucent and can be used to make highly insulating windows3,4,5.
Recently, we have demonstrated that it is possible to alter the appearance of a silica aerogel by etching onto or cutting through the surface using a laser engraving system6,7 without causing bulk structural damage to the aerogel. This could be useful for making aesthetic enhancements, printing inventory information and machining aerogel monoliths into various forms. Femtosecond lasers have been shown to work for crude &#34;micro-machining&#34; of aerogels8,9,10,11; however, the current protocol demonstrates the ability to alter the surface of aerogels with a simple laser engraving system. As a result, this protocol is broadly applicable to the artistic and technical communities.
It is also possible to incorporate dyes into the aerogel chemical precursor mixture and thereby make dye-doped aerogels with a range of hues. This method has been used to fabricate chemical sensors12,13, to enhance Cerenkov detection14, and for purely aesthetic reasons. Here, we demonstrate the use of dyes and laser etching to prepare aesthetically pleasing aerogels.
In the section that follows, we describe procedures for making large silica aerogel monoliths, altering the monolith preparation procedure to incorporate dyes, etching text, patterns and images onto the surface of an aerogel monolith, and cutting shapes from large dyed monoliths to be assembled into mosaics.

<table><tbody><tr><td>2000 grit sandpaper</td><td>Various</td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>50W Laser Engraver</td><td>Epilog Laser</td><td></td><td>Any laser cutter is suitable</td></tr><tr><td>Acetone</td><td>Fisher Scientific www.fishersci.com</td><td>A18-20</td><td>Certified ACS Reagent Grade&amp;nbsp;</td></tr><tr><td>Ammonium Hydroxide (aqueous ammonia)</td><td>Fisher Scientific www.fishersci.com</td><td>A669S212</td><td>Certified ACS Plus, about 14.8N, 28.0-20.0 w/w%</td></tr><tr><td>Beakers</td><td>Purchased from Fisher Scientific</td><td></td><td>Any glass beaker is suitable.</td></tr><tr><td>Deionized Water</td><td>On tap in house</td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Digital balance</td><td>OHaus Explorer Pro</td><td></td><td>Any digital balance is suitable.</td></tr><tr><td>Disposable cleaning wipes</td><td>Fisher Scientific www.fishersci.com</td><td>06-666</td><td>KimWipe</td></tr><tr><td>Drawing Software</td><td>CorelDraw Graphics Suite</td><td></td><td>CorelDraw</td></tr><tr><td>Flexible Graphite Sheet</td><td>Phelps Industrial Products</td><td>7500.062.3</td><td>1/16&quot; thick</td></tr><tr><td>Fluorescein</td><td>Sigma Aldrich www.sigmaaldrich.com</td><td>F2456</td><td>Dye content ~95%</td></tr><tr><td>Foam paint brush&amp;nbsp;</td><td>Various&amp;nbsp;</td><td></td><td>1-2 cm size</td></tr><tr><td>High Vacuum Grease</td><td>Dow Corning</td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Hydraulic Hot Press</td><td>Tetrahedron www.tetrahedronassociates.com</td><td>MTP-14</td><td>Any hot press with temperature and force control will work. Needs maximum temperature of ~550 F and maximum force of 24 tons.</td></tr><tr><td>Laser Engraver</td><td>Epilogue Laser</td><td>Helix - 24</td><td>50 W</td></tr><tr><td>Methanol (MeOH)</td><td>Fisher Scientific www.fishersci.com</td><td>A412-20</td><td>Certified ACS Reagent Grade, &amp;ge;99.8%</td></tr><tr><td>Mold</td><td>Fabricated in House</td><td></td><td>Fabricate from cold-rolled steel or stainless steel.</td></tr><tr><td>Paraffin Film</td><td>Fisher Scientific www.fishersci.com</td><td>S37441</td><td>Parafilm M Laboratory Film</td></tr><tr><td>Rhodamine-6G&lt;br/&gt; Rhodamine-6g&lt;br/&gt; FlouresceinRhodamine-6g</td><td>Sigma Aldrich www.sigmaaldrich.com</td><td>20,132-4</td><td>Dye content ~95%</td></tr><tr><td>Rhodamine-B&lt;br/&gt; Rhodamine-6g&lt;br/&gt; FlouresceinRhodamine-6g</td><td>Sigma Aldrich www.sigmaaldrich.com</td><td>R-953</td><td>Dye content ~80%</td></tr><tr><td>Soap to clean mold</td><td>Various</td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Stainless Steel Foil</td><td>Various</td><td></td><td>.0005&quot; thick, 304 Stainless Steel</td></tr><tr><td>Tetramethylorthosilicate (TMOS)</td><td>Sigma Aldrich www.sigmaaldrich.com</td><td>218472-500G</td><td>98% purity, CAS 681-84-5</td></tr><tr><td>Ultrasonic Cleaner</td><td>FisherScientific FS6</td><td>153356</td><td>Any sonicator is suitable.</td></tr><tr><td>Vacuum Exhaust system</td><td>Purex</td><td>800i</td><td>Any exhaust system is suitable.</td></tr><tr><td>Variable micropipettor, 100-1000 &amp;micro;L</td><td>Manufactured by Eppendorf, purchased from Fisher Scientific www.fishersci.com</td><td>S304665</td><td>Any 100-1000 &amp;micro;L pipettor is suitable.</td></tr></tbody></table>

aesthetically enhanced silica aerogel via incorporation of laser etching and dyes

Aesthetically Enhanced Silica Aerogel Via Incorporation of Laser Etching and Dyes

A procedure for aesthetically enhancing silica aerogel monoliths by laser etching and incorporation of dyes is described in this manuscript. Using a rapid supercritical extraction method, large silica aerogel monolith (10 cm x 11 cm x 1.5 cm) can be fabricated in about 10 h. Dyes incorporated into the precursor mixture result in yellow-, pink- and orange-tinged aerogels. Text, patterns, and images can be etched onto the surface (or surfaces) of the aerogel monolith without damaging the bulk structure. The laser engraver can be used to cut shapes from the aerogel and form colorful mosaics.

This protocol can be employed to prepare a wide variety of aesthetically pleasing aerogel monoliths for applications including, but not limited to, art and sustainable building design. Inclusion in the precursor mixture of the small amounts of dye employed here is only observed to impact the color of the resulting aerogel monolith; changes in other optical or structural properties are not observed.
Figure 8<...

This protocol describes a method for etching text, patterns, and images onto the surface of silica aerogel monoliths in native and dyed form and assembling the aerogels into mosaic designs.

A procedure for aesthetically enhancing silica aerogel monoliths by laser etching and incorporation of dyes is described in this manuscript. Using a rapid ...

aesthetically-enhanced-silica-aerogel-via-incorporation-laser-etching

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Learn laser engraving techniques for customizing silica aerogel monoliths with text, patterns, and images. This method enables precise aesthetic enhancement of lightweight materials for artwork and sustainable building applications.

Aesthetically Enhanced Silica Aerogel Via Incorporation of Laser Etching and Dyes

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