Ionic Silsesquioxanes: A Versatile Tool to Architect Multifunctional Nanostructured Materials

The ionic silsesquioxanes are hybrid polymers formed from the polycondensation of organoalkoxysilane precursors that contain charged groups, such as ammonium quaternary salts, where the silica network is combined with the charged organic moiety in a molecular level. These charged polymers present very peculiar characteristics such as self-organization, ionic exchange, water solubility, capacity to form strong adhered films over metal oxide surfaces and ability to stabilize metal nanoparticles. These characteristics open the possibility to synthesize or modify materials producing several multifunctional nanostructures and our research group has been devoted great attention to these systems in the last years. Here, we give an overview of the research activities of the Laboratory of Solids and Surfaces using the ionic silsesquioxanes in the development of nanostructures and nanodevices.