Sol Gel Synthesis and Structure of Hybrid Nanomaterials with Strong Chemical Bonds

Abstract

Sol-gel synthesis at molecular level and low temperature gives us a possibility to obtain new materials with non-traditional physical and chemical properties of special interest, highly homogeneous and pure. Recently a great attention has been paid to this method because of synthesizing new hybrid (organic-inorganic) materials having nanoscaled structure. The newly synthesized hybrid coatings and bulk materials can be successfully applied in optics, electronics, technics, medicine, and biotechnology. The chemical composition of hybrids and the nature of chemical bonds between the organic and inorganic components in their structure are the most important parameters determining physico-chemical behavior of these materials. The different organic-inorganic hybrids can be classified into two broad families, according to the nature of chemical bond between their organic and inorganic components: Class I — hybrid systems in which one of components (organic, biologic or inorganic) is entrapped within a network of the other component and Van der Walls Hydrogen bonding or electrostatic interactions are found; Class II — hybrid materials in which the inorganic and organic parts are chemically bonded by a covalent or ionic-covalent bond. The hybrids belonging to Class II are more appropriate for obtaining of nanomaterials with high mechanical and corrosion resistance.