Abstract: The process for the synthesis of a silica monolith comprises the following steps: hydrolysis of a silicon alkoxide in order to form a hydrolysis precursor followed by a condensation of said hydrolysis precursor in the presence of an organic solvent, in the presence of water and of a basic catalyst in order to form oligomeric clusters containing several silicon atoms; dispersion of said oligomeric clusters in a solution in order to form a sol; polymerization of the sol in order to obtain a gel via a first heat treatment, at a temperature below the boiling point of the constituents of the sol; drying of the gel via a second heat treatment; conversion of the gel to a xerogel via a third heat treatment; dehydration and densification of the xerogel until the silica monolith is obtained via a fourth heat treatment.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a process for the synthesis of a silica monolith according to a process known as a “sol-gel process” that comprises the following steps: hydrolysis of a silicon alkoxide in order to form a hydrolysis precursor followed by a condensation of said hydrolysis precursor in the presence of an organic solvent, in the presence of water and of a basic catalyst in order to form oligomeric clusters containing several silicon atoms; dispersion of said oligomeric clusters in a solution in order to form a sol; polymerization of the sol in order to obtain a gel via a first heat treatment, at a temperature below the boiling point of the constituents of the sol; drying of the gel via a second heat treatment including an exposure of the gel to around 90° C. for at least 24 hours followed by an increase in temperature, under vacuum, between around 90° C. and around 180° C., said temperature increase being between 0.1/min and 5° C.