Auto-organization modulation of tetrasubstituted tetrathiafulvalenes (TTF) in silica based hybrid materials

The effect of the interactions generated by the spacer group between the TTF core and the four triethoxysilane groups on the auto-organization of the organic bridging moieties in hybrid materials obtained by sol–gel chemistry has been investigated. The silica-based hybrid solids are highly polycondensed. They present different scales of organization (nanometric and micrometric) that are independent one from each other and are governed by the different parameters which control the kinetics of polycondensation. Their anisotropic organization is function of the interaction forces induced by the spacer, van der Waals, hydrogen bonding or both, during the hydrolytic condensation process.