Introduction - Mesoporous Organic-Inorganic Non-Siliceous Hybrid Materials - page 4

during the solgel procedure is the incorporation of organic groups via hydrolysis
and polymerization using organically modified silanes. The homogeneous distribu-
tion of organic bridges both in the wall and on the surface is fascinating and valu-
able from the viewpoint of materials and chemistry. However, besides the limited
choice and high cost of the precursors of organosilicon reagents, functionalization
of organosilicas is confined to the physical properties concerned with adsorption,
ion-exchange, and catalysis. The exploitation of hybrid materials has thus been
extended to non-siliceous organic-inorganic hybrid materials.
Chemically designed non-siliceous organic-inorganic mesoporous hybrids,
in which metal sulfonates, carboxylates, and phosphonates represent the three
members of the family, are considered to be promising candidates for environ-
mentally friendly and multifunctional materials [ 24 , 25 ]. Different dimensions
and reactivities of the bridging molecules lead to the distinct structures and sta-
bilities of the resultant hybrids. Because of the variety of available organic acid
linkages and their derivatives and the various metallic precursors, the physico-
chemical properties of hybrid frameworks can be designed and further modified
adequately through the use of different metal ions and organic bridging molecules.
Not only the hydrophobic/hydrophilic and acid/alkaline natures of the pore surface
could be adjusted, but also the homogeneous introduction of functional binding
sites into the framework could be realized. By ingenious selection of the synthe-
sis systems and technology, the pore width, mesophase, crystallization of the pore
walls, and morphology of the mesoporous non-siliceous hybrids can be effectively
controlled. Thus, mesoporous metal-organic hybrids have been widely utilized in
adsorption, separation, catalysis, photochemistry, and biochemistry, owing to their
high surface area, large pore volume, adjustable porosity, easy handling, low-cost
manufacturing, and intriguing surface properties [ 26 - 28 ].
This topic summarizes and highlights the progress of mesoporous non-silica-
based hybrid materials with controllable compositions and structural properties in
the past decade, including metal sulfonates, carboxylates, phosphonates, and some
“hot” MOFs. The purpose of this topic is to provide a comprehensive review and,
together with it, a future outlook. We hope that this topic can be a good reference
for a wide readership, including researchers, scientists, and students in chemistry,
chemical engineering, physics, materials science, and biology, who are interested
in mesoporous non-siliceous hybrid materials.
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