Sol-gel preparation of low oxygen content, high surface area silicon nitride and imidonitride materials.

Reactions of Si(NHMe)4 with ammonia are effectively catalysed by small ammonium triflate concentrations, and can be used to produce free-standing silicon imide gels. Firing at various temperatures produces amorphous or partially crystallised silicon imidonitride/nitride samples with high surface areas and low oxygen contents. The crystalline phase is entirely α-Si3N4 and structural similarities are observed between the amorphous and crystallised materials.