In the sol-gel process, metal alkoxides undergo hydrolysis and polycondensation reactions to form a colloidal suspension or "sol." This sol then evolves into a gel-like network containing both a liquid and a solid phase. The gel is subsequently dried and calcined to remove any remaining organic components, resulting in the formation of nanostructured materials. This method is advantageous due to its ability to produce high-purity and homogeneous materials at relatively low temperatures.
