IUPAC

To determine standardized terminology for the chemical technologies associated with the formation and structure of inorganic/organic hybrid materials and organic network materials.

The project is to be pursued as a joint project between the Inorganic and Macromolecular Divisions within the remit of the Materials Initiative. The project team includes scientists from academia, industry and publishing.

IUPAC has approved the project with the intention of establishing precise base definitions of terms that will carry meaning for all academic and industrial chemists involved with this rapidly expanding technology. The materials embraced by the project range from inorganic porous gels and denser materials through organic/inorganic molecular hybrids and composites to certain types of organic network polymers. The processing of the materials can be from the liquid state using sol-gel methodologies or swelling/drying techniques, or from the solid state using the methods of blending and mixing. The different terms relating to both materials and the methods of processing that are in current use can be confusing to the practitioner according to whether their background is rooted in polymer chemistry, inorganic chemistry or applied chemistry. General terms concerned with classes of starting materials, intermediates and final product materials, their microstructures, the characteristic properties that relate to their processing etc. will all be included.

March 2006 - A manuscript is being prepared for publication in Pure Appl. Chem. A final document is submitted to public review comments until 31 July 2006.
> see provisional recommendations
../../reports/provisional/abstract06/jones_310706.html

Oct 2007 - Project completed - IUPAC Recommendations published in Pure Appl. Chem. 79(10), 1801-1829, 2007.

<project announcement published in Chem. Int. 22(5) 2000>