Sol–gel derived silica-based organic–inorganic hybrid materials as “composite precursors” for the synthesis of highly homogeneous nanostructured mixed oxides: an overview

The present contribution reports on our results concerning the synthesis of different binary and ternary oxide systems by using hybrid materials as “composite” precursors. In the last years, we have developed and explored a valuable strategy to yield a very homogeneous dispersion of nanoparticles of early metal transition oxide, MO2 (M = Zr, Hf) inside a silica matrix. This route is based on the use of the sol–gel process to obtain organic–inorganic hybrid silica-based materials embedding the oxide precursors (Zr and/or Hf oxoclusters), which are then calcined at high (T > 500 °C) temperatures to give the desired oxides. The “precursor” hybrid materials are prepared by a modified sol–gel process, involving the copolymerisation of the organically modified oxozirconium or oxohafnium clusters (M4O2(OMc)12 (M = Zr, Hf and OMc = methacrylate) with (methacryloxymethyl)triethoxysilane (MAMTES) or (methacryloxypropyl)trimethoxysilane (MAPTMS). Free radical copolymerisation of the 12 methacrylate groups of the oxoclusters with the methacrylate-functionalised siloxanes allows a stable anchoring of the oxoclusters to the silica network formed by the hydrolysis and condensation of the alkoxy groups. The sol–gel reactions of the two methacrylate-modified silanes methacryloxymethyltriethoxysilane and methacryloxypropyltrimethoxysilane were followed by using two independent time-resolved spectroscopic methods, viz., IR ATR and NMR with the aim to optimise their pre-hydrolysis times and consequently their use as precursors for hybrid materials. As mentioned, thermal treatment at high temperature of the hybrid yields a very homogeneous dispersion of ZrO2 and/or HfO2 nanoparticles in the silica matrix, since the molecular homogeneity of the starting hybrid is retained in the final mixed oxide. This route was successfully applied both to the synthesis of bulk materials and thin films characterised by different compositions (in term of M/Si molar ratios and M nature), heating route (conventional or microwave-assisted) and final temperature of annealing (from RT to 1,100 °C). The first example of the ZrO2–HfO2–SiO2 ternary oxide system was also prepared by this approach. The prepared systems, both in the form of hybrid materials as well as in the final form of binary or ternary oxides, were thoroughly characterised by a wide variety of analytical tools from a compositional, structural, morphological point of view. Moreover, in the case of the binary ZrO2–SiO2 bulk materials, also the evolution under heating was followed by different methods. In particular, the composition of the hybrid as well as of the final oxidic materials was determined by X-Ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy and elemental analysis, whereas FT-IR and multinuclear solid-state NMR spectroscopies shed light on the changes occurring in the composition upon thermal heating and the degree of condensation of the silica network. The morphology and the microstructure of the hybrids and of the oxides were studied by nitrogen sorption and Scanning Electron Microscopy. X-Ray Diffraction, Transmission Electron Microscopy and X-ray Absorption Fine Structure Spectroscopy X-ray Absorption Fine Structure Spectroscopy were used to follow the conversion of the amorphous oxides to the final materials consisting of crystalline zirconia or hafnia dispersed in amorphous silica. On selected systems, functional properties (surface reactivity, dielectric properties) were furthermore investigated. The obtained binary oxides were also used as substrates for functionalisation experiments with (1) dialkycarbamates and (2) long alkyl chains to produce functional materials for catalysis and HPLC applications, respectively.