Chapter 11.1.9 - Organic–Inorganic Hybrid Materials Prepared Through Supramolecular Assembly

Abstract

Organic-inorganic nanohybrid materials have been attracting much attention for the creation of high-performance materials. Development of materials with organized nanostructures is a fascinating research subject in ceramics, especially in the field of hybrid materials. Supramolecular organization is one of the key approaches for the creation of nanomaterials. This technique can be combined with the sol-gel process for the development of organic-inorganic nanohybrids. Here, several approaches for the preparation of organic-inorganic nanohybrids are reviewed. In particular, bioinspired colloidal nanohybrids created by the supramolecular organization and the sol-gel process are highlighted. Firstly, development of liposomal nanohybrid materials using amphiphilic organoalkoxysilanes is described. This hybrid has a unique structure since the inner structure is lipid bilayer vesicle, whereas the outer structure is analogous to silica particle. Preparation of hybrid hollow capsules by layer-by-layer assembly and sol-gel method using colloid templating is also described. These capsules can act as stimuli responsive materials with on-demand release functions. The nanohybrid colloidal materials are expected to show promise in areas ranging from drug and gene delivery to cell membrane modeling.