Electrochemical applications of silica-based organic-inorganic hybrid materials

A comprehensive overview is presented on the implication of silica-based or ganic-inorganic hybrid materials in electrochemical science. It involves co mposite materials of both class I (weak bonds between the organic and inorg anic components) and class II (strong chemical bonds). Starting with a desc ription of the common designs of electrodes modified with these hybrids, th e review then reports their applications in the various fields of electroch emistry, illustrating the diversity of the organically modified silicates u sed for this purpose. The mild chemical conditions allowed by the sol-gel p rocess provide very versatile access to these electrochemical devices. They have found many applications in electroanalysis, including preconcentratio n associated with voltammetric detection, permselective coatings, electroch emical sensors, electrocatalysis, and detectors for chromatography. They we re also applied as redox and conducting polymers, as solid polymer electrol ytes for batteries, for the design of spectroelectrochemical and electro-ch emiluminescence devices, and in the field of electrochemical biosensors.