Hybrid functional materials, constituting both inorganic and organic components, are considered potential platforms for applications in extremely diverse fields such as optics, micro-electronics, transportation, health, energy, energy storage, diagnosis, housing, environment and the highly relevant area is Internet of Things (IoT). Material properties of hybrid materials can be tuned by modification of the composition on the molecular scale to produce smart materials. Cross-cutting approaches, to synergistically couple molecular engineering and processing allows to tailor complex hybrid systems of various shapes with perfect control over size, composition, functionality, and morphology. The detailed description and discussion of variety of hybrid functional organic-inorganic materials and their contribution in the designing of specific modern technologies is the prime focus of this review.

We have developed conductive microstructures using micropatternable and conductive hybrid nanocomposite polymer. In this method carbon fibers (CFs) were blended into polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS). Electrical conductivities of different compositions were investigated with various fiber lengths (50–250 μm), and weight percentages (wt%) (10–60 wt%). Sample composites of 2 cm × 1 cm × 500 μm were fabricated for 4-point probe conductivity measurements. The measured percolation thresholds varied with length of the fibers: 50 wt% (307.7 S/m) for 50 µm, 40 wt% (851.1 S/m) for 150 µm, and 30 wt% (769.23 S/m) for 250 μm fibers. The conductive composites showed higher elastic modulus when compared to that of PDMS.

Organometal halide perovskite (CH₃NH₃PbI₃) absorber was synthesized from CH₃NH₃I and PbI₂ in N, N dimethylformamide by solution spin coating process. Characterization by X-ray diffraction, optical and electron microscopy studies confirmed a well-formed nano-crystalline tetragonal pervoskite structure. The synthesized CH₃NH₃PbI₃ was used as a photo absorber material in a hole-conductor free photovoltaic device with TiO₂ as an electron conductor. This configuration of the perovskite photovoltaic device exploits the role of CH₃NH₃PbI₃ simultaneously as light absorber and hole-conducting material. We report two device configurations: (a) with a compact TiO₂ buffer layer introduced between the porous TiO₂ and FTO and (b) without the compact TiO₂ layer over the FTO substrate. The simple solar cell structure FTO/TiO₂/CH₃NH₃PbI₃/Agpresented here shows good photovoltaic performance under illumination with standard AM1.5 sunlight. For the champion devices from the two structures, (a) and (b), we obtained short circuit photocurrent densities asJ_sc = 17.4 mA/cm² and 19.5 mA/cm², open circuit voltage V_oc = 1.0 V and 1.45 V, fill factor FF = 0.54 and 0.29 and a power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 9.39% and 8.19% respectively under solar light intensity flux of 100 mW/cm². We find that structure (a) offers significantly better device parameters. The results of the present work suggest a route to realize a simple, low cost and highly efficient perovskite photovoltaic device. These devices could be realized in miniaturized sensors and electronic components applied in Internet of Things (IoT).

The ionization degree, charge density, and conformation of weak polyelectrolytes can be adjusted through adjusting the pH and ionic strength stimuli. Such polymers thus offer a range of reversible interactions, including electrostatic complexation, H-bonding, and hydrophobic interactions, which position weak polyelectrolytes as key nano-units for the design of dynamic systems with precise structures, compositions, and responses to stimuli. The purpose of this review article is to discuss recent examples of nanoarchitectonic systems and applications that use weak polyelectrolytes as smart components. Surface platforms (electrodeposited films, brushes), multilayers (coatings and capsules), processed polyelectrolyte complexes (gels and membranes), and pharmaceutical vectors from both synthetic or natural-type weak polyelectrolytes are discussed. Finally, the increasing significance of block copolymers with weak polyion blocks is discussed with respect to the design of nanovectors by micellization and film/membrane nanopatterning via phase separation.