Nonhydrolytic Processing of Oxide-Based Materials: Simple Routes to Control Homogeneity, Morphology, and Nanostructure

Over the past decade, there has been an increasing number of reports on low-temperature preparations of oxides and organic-inorganic hybrids (including sol-gel, solvothermal synthesis, and atomic layer deposition) that take place in nonaqueous media and involve no water as a reactant. This growing interest lies on the ability of these nonhydrolytic routes (in organic solvents, unusual media, condensed phase or under vapor deposition conditions) to reach a higher control over composition, morphology, and structure. An overview of the main results is proposed here, which emphasizes the molecular approach (molecular precursors used, nonhydrolytic reactions involved), the ability to design oxide-based materials with a high degree of homogeneity (mixed oxides, organically modified silicates and ceramics, polysiloxane resins, polymer nanocomposites, etc.) and specific nanostructures (nanoparticles, mesocrystals, nanoporous materials, nanocomposites, nanolayers).