Structured Inorganic-Organic Nanocomposites

Inorganic-organic nanocomposites are promising materials due to their extraordinary properties arising from the combination of inorganic and organic species in one material. A major aspect tightly connected to the synthesis of these hybrid materials is the spacial organization of the dissimilar and commonly incompatibel components which can result in novel structural features, physical properties, and complex functions. The goal of the proposed project is the exploration of novel routes towards the controlled structure formation of polymer nanocomposites via the combination of controlled/"living" polymerization techniques, supramolecular chemistry, and the sol-gel process. Applying controlled polymerization techniques morphologies with various complexity are prepared in which the structural features are tailored by the choice of the monomers and initiators. The obtained macromolecules will contain functional groups that allow an interaction with inorganic moieties. These interactions will be used for the controlled structuring via a self-assembly approach towards more complex hierarchically ordered structures. Highly complex nanoscale-shaped systems can be achieved with this multistep organization. The obtained complex morphologies will be fixed via a rigid inorganic network applying the sol-gel process. This "bottom-up" strategy permits the construction of functional materials which can be used in a variety of applications, such as optics, electronics, mechanics, sensors, and others.

Inorganic-organic nanocomposites are promising materials due to their extraordinary properties arising from the combination of inorganic and organic species in one material. A major aspect tightly connected to the synthesis of these hybrid materials is the spacial organization of the dissimilar and commonly incompatibel components which can result in novel structural features, physical properties, and complex functions. The goal of the proposed project is the exploration of novel routes towards the controlled structure formation of polymer nanocomposites via the combination of controlled/"living" polymerization techniques, supramolecular chemistry, and the sol-gel process. Applying controlled polymerization techniques morphologies with various complexity are prepared in which the structural features are tailored by the choice of the monomers and initiators. The obtained macromolecules will contain functional groups that allow an interaction with inorganic moieties. These interactions will be used for the controlled structuring via a self-assembly approach towards more complex hierarchically ordered structures. Highly complex nanoscale-shaped systems can be achieved with this multistep organization. The obtained complex morphologies will be fixed via a rigid inorganic network applying the sol-gel process. This "bottom-up" strategy permits the construction of functional materials which can be used in a variety of applications, such as optics, electronics, mechanics, sensors, and others.