Question

What are the major developments in Novel hybrid inorganic - organic polymer systems in the last 10 years?

Answer 1

During the past decade, the novel organic–inorganic hybrids created to combine the properties of organic polymers and inorganic components, have seen tremendous technological development due to their remarkable properties. Novel hybrid organic–inorganic polymers have not only been an creative alternative to new materials for academic interest but also finds application in biomedicine, energy, environmental remediation, catalysis, sensing, coating technologies and optoelectronics. Some of the major developments are listed below:

• Efficient anticorrosive and antibacterial coatings
  • A novel hybrid polymer coating formed on stainless steel by in situ polymerization of dopamine and simultaneous hydrolytic polycondensation of 3-aminopropyltriethoxysilane exhibited anticorrosion of seawater. Further, the primary amine groups were used on the multilayer coating for grafting a biocidal agent 3-chloro-2-hydroxypropyltrimethylammonium chloride (CHPTAC). Interestingly, the multilayer polymer coating demonstrated biocidal functionality.

• Biotechnological application of biosensors and bioreactors
  • Active biospecies when immobilized on/in solid substrates for reusability and protection from denaturation provide bioactive hybrids. These are advantages as the high activity of enzymes/antibodies/micro-organisms can perform specific reactions that would otherwise be not be possible with any chemical route.

• Rubbery hybrids materials
  • Another interesting development is the novel hybrids made from PDMS and TEOS. These even when prepared with the inorganic component weight in excess of 70% exhibited properties comparable or even better than natural and organic rubbers.

• Biomedical applications in therapeutic and diagnostic imaging
  • The synthesis of Inorganic-organic hybrid nanomaterials has paved the way for an extensive diversity of biomedical applications. This has initiated potential applications and new avenues of diagnosis and therapy.

• Hybrid organic–inorganic materials containing organic chromophores
  • The hybrid matrices embedded with spyrooxazines have resulted in photochromic materials. Very fast optical responses can be obtained depending upon the tuning of dye–matrix interaction.