Sol-gel Technology for Sensor Applications (Review Paper)

Abstract

Sol-gel processes refer to the transition of predefined compositions of inorganic alkoxidesprecursors from liquid sol phase to solid gel phase. The phenomenon of sol-gel was known tomankind for more than 150 years. It is because of concerted efforts of researchers frommultidisciplinary fields, sol-gel science transformed to technology. Several products are alreadycommercially available for applications in optical coatings, nanocomposites, and public healthcare.Potential applications in the areas of biosensors and environmental monitoring are expected.Newer applications with nanotechnology appear too exciting. An attempt has been made toaddress important applications of sol-gel technology, particularly in sensing techniques fromthe defence perspective.