Abstract

Hybrid framework materials are single-phase crystalline compounds containing both inorganic and organic moieties, as integral parts of a network with infinite bonding connectivity. Such hybrid systems are held together by strong covalent and/or coordination bonding to create one-dimensional (1 D) chains, 2 D layers, or 3 D networks that may incorporate both organic and inorganic connectivities. In this context, hybrid framework materials are not to be confused with conventional hybrid composites whereby their organic and inorganic components exist as separate phases. The field of hybrid framework materials now represents one of the fastest growing areas in materials chemistry, mainly because their enormous structural and chemical diversity offers vast opportunities for creating many technologically relevant properties. For example, dense hybrid framework materials can exhibit a wide range of attractive physical properties including electrical, magnetic, multiferroic and optical phenomena. On the other hand, porous hybrid framework materials are attracting considerable attention by virtue of their permanent nanoscale porosity in combination with highly tuneable pore size and functionality, useful for gas storage, separation, drug delivery, sensing and catalytic applications. Indeed, all the applications envisaged for this new class of materials involve subjecting the hybrid structures to stresses and strains, for which knowledge of their mechanical properties will be central to reach practical implementations. In this talk, I will elucidate the structure-property relationships of dense and nanoporous hybrid framework materials using single-crystal nanoindentation [1-3], synchrotron X-ray and neutron diffraction [4,5], and density functional calculations [5,6].