Hybrid Inorganic-Organic Polymers Based on Organically Modified Si-Alkoxides

Hybrid materials have found widespread applications in recent years and are one example for the bottom-up approach to nanotechnology: materials and phases are generated by physical or chemical means from precursor compounds forming nanoscale or nanocomposite materials. This review describes basic principles and several applications of inorganic–organic polymers using organically crosslinked heteropolysiloxanes (ORMOCERs) based on the sequential synthesis of inorganic and organic networks.