Sol-gel synthesis of hybrid materials

Sol-gel chemistry allows the synthesis of hybrid organic-inorganic material s. Organic molecules can be used as complexing ligands to provide a chemica l control over hydrolysis and condensation reactions, leading to the format ion of stable suspensions of nanoparticles. They can also be trapped within the sol-gel matrix in order to provide some optical properties such as pho tochromism. When chemically bound to the oxide network via Si-C bonds they lead to hybrid nanocomposites that offer new possibilities in the field of materials science. Even biospecies, such as enzymes or antibodies, can be t rapped within sol-gel matrices in order to make bio-sensors or bio-catalyst s.