Valorization of by-products of the sugar industry: New nanostructured hybrid materials containing sugar derived structures

This article describes some possibilities opened by sugar-derived structures in the field of new materials. We selected commercially available structures, mannitol M, sorbitol S. dulcitol D, which are low cost by-products of industrial sugars used for food. These structures present OH functions regularly distributed on a chiral carbon chain. We report here a valorization of these by-products by incorporating them into new silica hybrids. The synthesis, achieved by direct silylation of polyols M, S and D either with 3(triethoxysilylpropyl)isocyanate, or 3-iodopropyltriethoxysilane led directly to the corresponding materials. The polycondensation occurred in situ because of the presence of a very tight hydrogen bonds network between the organic cores. Incorporation of gold (0) nanoparticles and lanthanide complexations were successfully investigated. (C) 2010 Academie des sciences. Published by Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.