Photoactive organic-inorganic hybrid materials: From silylated compounds to optical applications

Abstract This review summarizes several aspects of type II photoactive organic-inorganic hybrid materials prepared from silylated fluorophores, including their photophysical properties and uses. In this sense, several examples are presented and discussed taking the nature of the silyl derivative into account. Applications as latent fingerprints detection, chemosensors for metal cations, anions, pH, heavy metals, and small organic molecules, as well as recent use as drug delivery systems, bioimaging, organic solar cells, aerogels, and highly fluorescent hybrid materials, are reported and compared to the literature. Also, fluorescent type II organic-inorganic hybrid materials from non-silylated fluorophores, prepared with binding agents, such as 3-(triethoxysilyl)propyl isocyanate (TESPIC), 3-mercaptopropyltriethoxysilane (TMMPS), or 3-isocyanato propyltrimethoxysilane (ICPTES) are also covered in this review.