Preparation of metal oxide or metal nanoparticles in silica via metal coordination to organofunctional trialkoxysilanes

Organofunctional silanes of the type (RO)3Si(CH2)nX, where X is a coordinating organic group, can be used to coordinate metal ions or metal alkoxide moieties (M). Sol–gel processing of the single‐source precursors thus obtained, (RO)3Si(CH2)nXM, followed by controlled degradation of the organic tethers and the coordinating groups, makes possible the preparation of MOx/SiO2 or M/SiO2 nanocomposites with a controllable nanoparticle size.