Smart hybrid materials. Structural design and applications

Abstract

The field of multifunctional nanohybrid materials is one of the most promising and rapidly emerging research areas in materials chemistry. The sinergy between inorganic and organic components¿ properties, in a single material, provides vast opportunities to develop novel advanced materials in catalysis, sensing, coating, optical and electronic materials, biomedicine, and energy storage. A stimuli-responsive polymer can significantly change according to the environment it is in. The nonlinear response of these polymers makes them so unique and effective in combination with inorganic nanoparticles. In this talk, we will highlight our recent development in the area of multifunctional hybrid nanostructures, laying focus on the improved, optical, electronic and catalytic properties of organic-inorganic nanomaterials as a response to chemical signals conversions derived from the impact of pH and temperature external stimuli. Actually, a polymer-stabilized NPs in organic and aqueous solvents offer a great chemical playground for directed self-assembly, by simply changing composition of the solvent, hydrophobicity of monomers; which expands their potential applications. This research requires a good understanding of structure-property relationships that guide the design and generation of novel smart materials with well-controlled physical and assembly features for specific applications.