The state-of-the-art methods of synthesis of nanomaterials in many cases are not able to produce controlled “nano-engineered” nanomaterials that include several sub-nano-sized structurally or functionally organized components. The solution to these problems may be a range of emerging hybrid systems. The currently developed structured and hierarchical hybrid systems are designed for the purposes of reducing energy consumption, increasing the efficiency of processes, and reducing the consumption of expensive components. The use of hybrid nanomaterials provides eco-friendly solutions for environmental problems (purification and remediation of water, air, and soil from harmful compounds including polychlorinated hydrocarbons, chromium, mercury, arsenic, etc.), disposal of waste (lignocellulosic waste biomass, plastic wastes, asphaltenes etc.), and the production of new fuels and products of fine organic synthesis (drugs, polymers), meeting the needs of future generations.
Especially hopes are associated with the use of hybrid materials as catalysts for various processes. Hybrid materials and hybrid nanomaterials differ from composites and nanocomposites:
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(1)Each component of the hybrid system itself has a highly organized structure at the molecular and nanoscale level, and the combination of components leads, in turn, to an additionally organized nanostructure constructed from two or more structures of components.
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(2)The components of the hybrid system interact with each other to form a chemical structure.
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(3)The properties of the hybrid system are determined by the set of properties of the components, while their additivity and synergy may result in new properties that were not observed in the original components.
There are already numerous examples of how combinations of different materials exhibit improved properties compared to individual substances. A hybrid material may consist only of inorganic components or only of organic components. Of particular interest are the materials constructed simultaneously from organic and inorganic components, between which there are regular chemical bonds. As an example, we can consider a material in which, for example, inorganic fibers or nanoparticles are distributed in a polymer or organic matrix and, on the contrary, organic particles and clusters are included in the structure of the inorganic matrix.
There may also exist more complex three- and multicomponent organo-inorganic hybrid systems. The number of organic building blocks is huge, so the number of possible compositions is very large. Accordingly, the number of new hybrid materials is unlimited.