Hybrid Sol gel organic-inorganic nanocomposites: Formation, Characterization, and Applications

Recently, one of the biggest challenges for scientific researchers is developing and fabricating engineering nanomaterials with the ability to control the size and morphology for use in multi-applications such as electro-magneto optoelectronic devices, drug delivery, catalysts, fuel cells, sensors, Li-ion batteries, and water treatment. Hybrid organic-inorganic nanocomposites are an interesting class of hybrid materials with interesting applications ranging from encapsulation, sensors, full cells, drug delivery, and controlled release of active substances to their utilization as fillers for the paint and coating industries.
The sol-gel process is considered one of the most practical chemical methods for preparing high purity and chemically homogeneous coatings, membranes, fibers, sheets, ceramics, and powders at low temperatures. Therefore, the sol-gel method was the most practiced technique to the wide area including not only glasses, thin films, and ceramics, but, organic and biomaterials to produce materials of new compositions with high purity, high homogeneity, and to control particle size distributions in a nanoscale level.
The introduction of various organic functional groups, such as amino, glycidol, epoxy, hydroxyl, etc., into alkoxides monomers, leads to sol-gel glasses modified organically. The synthesis of organic-inorganic composites gives a route to produce silicate materials with continuously control chemical and physical properties by simply changing the precursors employed their molar ratio or both. Looking to the future of hybrid composite materials, the new generations of these materials, which are produced from the very fruitful activities in this scientific field, will present promising various applications in different fields: environment, optics, electronics, mechanics, energy, biology, medicine.