A lattice-engineering route to heterostructured functional nanohybrids

Abstract

The fabrication of layered nanomaterials, such as inorganic-inorganic, organic-inorganic, and bioinorganic nanohybrids has been demonstrated through controlled lattice engineering techniques including intercalation, exfoliation-reassembling, and pillaring reactions. Such a lattice engineering method gives rise to an almost unlimited set of new hybrid compounds with a large spectrum of desirable properties. Due to the unique two-dimensional structures and properties, various kinds of functional nanohybrid materials can be utilized as photocatalysts, electrode materials, superconducting thin films, gas separation membranes, drug-delivery systems, and biomolecule reservoirs.