Click Functionalization of Sol–Gel Materials

Abstract

The design of complex, multifunctional, and versatile materials for diverse applications ranging from nanomedicine to catalysis requires simple and reliable functionalization methodologies. Click chemistry describes a family of efficient, simple, and wide-scope reactions that can easily be applied to sol--gel materials. This chapter focuses on the use of click chemistry on various silica-based materials. Thiol-ene and copper-catalyzed alkyne to azide cycloaddition (CuAAC), the two most popular examples of click reactions, are described extensively, with prime focus on their use for the functionalization of sol--gel materials such as bulk mesoporous silica, silica monoliths, mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSNs), and periodic mesoporous organosilicas (PMOs). In addition to the mechanism of functionalization, reaction conditions are highlighted. Furthermore, the applications of these click-functionalized materials in diverse fields are discussed to highlight the vast potential and the numerous advances rendered possible thanks to these methodologies.