Gelation process of nanosilica sol and its mechanism: Molecular dynamics simulation

The spontaneous gelation tendency of nanosilica sol (NSS) greatly affects its application as a raw material in chemical production. Therefore, disclosing the gelation process and mechanism of NSS plays a vital role in effectively regulating the gelation process. Herein, we bring deep insight into the gelation process of NSS which mainly includes four stages: Short silicon oxide chains (Si–O chains) are formed on the surface of nanosilica...