Inorganic and organic hybride polymers: A new opening for materials research

Inorganic-organic hybrid framework assemblies ranging from zeolite-like polymers to multilayered perovskites to biomaterials have been intensively interested because of their interesting properties and potential in various applications such as electrical conductivity, magnetism, ion exchange, separation and catalysis. We have explored several ways to design and prepare inorganic chains and networks having organic molecular components and/or metal-metal interactions by using transition metal ions including rare earth metal ions and organic ligands, and obtained a series of novel transition metal coordination polymers. The following polymers have been prepared and structurally characterized in our laboratory: (1) novel transition metal and rare earth metal polymers with nanometer-sized cavities and porous structures; (2) the polymers having one dimensional chain structures, including many helical chains; (3) the polymers with lamellar graphite-like structures and excellent conducting properties; (4) the polymers of nano-wire with strong metal-metal interaction in core and organic molecules as stable shell.