Hybrid materials, organic-inorganic general applications

To meet the challenges of new material requirements, scientists must strive constantly to develop new systems. One recent approach has been to prepare inorganic-organic hybrid materials by using the sol-gel method common to ceramists. This technique allows a considerable range of chemistry to be used and may lead to the development of a whole array of systems that have potential applications (structural, optical, etc.). This chapter provides an overview of the general status of this approach, with emphasis on the work that comes from our laboratory. The chemistry discussed in this chapter involves the use of silicon-containing species in the preparation of polymeric network systems. 

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