Sensitivity of the Ag/SiO₂ Mesoporous Composite on Ambiences in the Optical Absorption

The influence of ambient conditions on the optical absorption has been investigated for the porous silica dispersed with silver nano-particles (about 3nm) within its pores. It has been shown that in the process of alternative exposure to the ambience and annealing, this new material assumes the optical memory effect and the reversible transition between the transparency and opacity in the visible wave band.