Formation and properties of sol-gel films and glasses with ultrafine metaland semiconductor particles

A novel method of fabrication of silica-based sol-gel films and glasses con taining small semiconductor particles was developed. A series of films and glasses with nanoparticles of copper chalcogenides (CuS, Cu2Se, CuInS2) and metal particles (Cu) were fabricated through the chemical transformation o f precursors incorporated into a sol-gel derived matrix. The properties of the nanoparticles studied by means of XRD, XPS, TEM and optical spectroscop y are provided both by size effects and the chemical nature of surface stat es and can be controlled at different steps of chemical treatment.