The easy covalent bonding of an OH-bearing molecule onto a metal oxide surface can be done by transesterifying a trimethylsilylated hydroxy function with the surface OH groups. This results in the grafting of the organic molecule directly on the matrix, accompanied by the formation of trimethylsilanol, which can easily be eliminated as volatile hexamethyldisiloxane and water. This was accomplished on a TiO 2 matrix with three carboxylic acids: acetic, isonicotinic,