I prepared SiO2 nanoparticles thin layer on glass slide by spin coating a precursor solution . The film formed but its adherence was very poor. It was removed even on a single touch? Slides were fully cleaned. I tried to anneal the sample so that Particles may fuse with the glass. But the experiment failed.
hi. I think functionalization of your particles with hydroxyl groups will improve the adherence of your particles.
if it's not useful, controlled etching the surface of glass with HF can help you too.
Let me know the medium you have used to dissolve SiO2 nanoparticles. The properties of the medium should similar to that of the glass surface.
Very-very likely it has nothing to do with the cleanliness of your substrates. They must be clean of course, but it does not guarantee any good quality of deposition. Sol-gel techniques actually can be quite tricky: maybe you deposit too much in one run, or you dry the layer too fast, or you sol is too diluted. The best way to proceed, if the quality of deposition is not the central problem of your work and it has been published already, is to find a good reference on production of exactly the nanoparticle layer you want and strictly follow the procedure. Maybe get a good text book on sol-gel technology as well - read about drying-induced stresses and limitations of crack-free layer thickness.
You did not give details on 'precursor solution', did you mean dispersion in water (pH, ..?) organic solvent (composition)???
Layer by layer deposition is a good idea for sure.
Check this recent paper
http://www.nature.com/articles/srep17708
It is a good description on how to make nanoporous silica coatings on glass.
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