Organic-inorganic polymer hybrids: Synthetic strategies and applications

Abstract

Hybrid materials generated via the combination of functional polymers with inorganic nanostructured compounds, with the latter exhibiting size-dependent physical and chemical properties, have become a major area of research and technological development owing to the remarkable properties and multifunctionalities deriving from their nanocomposite/nanohybrid structure. In this chapter, the different fabrication routes for generating organic-inorganic polymer hybrid materials are discussed. Those include blending processes, sol-gel methods, emulsion polymerization and photopolymerization, metallosupramolecular and coordination approaches, intercalation, microwave-assisted and electrochemical synthesis, synthetic routes based on surface grafting, and finally self-assembly and block copolymer- mediated synthetic strategies. The existing versatility in materials’ design in organic-inorganic polymer hybrids, in respect to the structural, compositional, and architectural characteristics, creates new prospects for many applications in very diverse areas. In the second section of this chapter, the applicability of organic- inorganic polymer hybrids in various fields including biomedicine, sensing, environmental remediation, energy, construction, automotive and coating technologies, catalysis, and optoelectronics is reviewed.