No abstract

This tutorial review reports upon the organisation and functionalization of two families of hybrid organic-inorganic materials. We attempted to show in both cases the best ways permitting the organisation of materials in terms of properties at the nanometric scale. The first family concerns mesoporous hybrid organic-inorganic materials prepared in the presence of a structure-directing agent. We describe the functionalization of the channel pores of ordered mesoporous silica, that of the silica framework, as well as the functionalization of both of them simultaneously. This family is currently one of the best supports for exploring polyfunctional materials, which can provide a route to interactive materials. The second family concerns lamellar hybrid organic-inorganic materials which is a new class of nanostructured materials. These materials were first obtained by self-assembly, as a result of van der Waals interactions of bridged organosilica precursors containing long alkylene chains during the sol-gel process, without any structure directing agent. This methodology has been extended to functional materials. It is also shown that such materials can be obtained from monosilylated precursors.

Bifunctional mesoporous material with an acidic framework and basic pores was synthesized via the co-condensation of TEOS, bistrimethoxysilylated precursors with a disulfide core, and 3-tert-butyloxycarbonyl (aminopropyl)triethoxysilane using P123 as surfactant; the reduction of disulfide units to SH groups followed by their oxidation into SO3H and deprotection of amino groups gave rise to a material containing two antagonist functionalities located at the nanometric scale in a successful cohabitation, avoiding their mutual destruction in the presence of aprotic solvent. This kind of material illustrates the large possibilities offered by mesoporous materials and opens new and unsuspected applications.