ABSTRACT
Molecular self-organization and self-assembly in supramolecular
structures is actually the basis of functional nanomaterial construc-
tion in a bottom-up strategy. The road from molecular to nano-
(micro-) scale devices depends both on the nature of its constituents
and on the interactions between them [1]. Hybrid organic-inorganic
materials produced by sol-gel processes are the subject of var-
ious investigations, offering an opportunity to obtain nanostruc-
tured materials initially from molecular [2] and more recently from
self-organized supramolecular [3] silsesquioxane systems. Of spe-
cial interest are the structure-directed function of hybrid materials and the control of their buildup by self-organization. Recently, the
possibility to create hybrid macrocyclic complexant membranes, selforganized in directional tubular superstructures at the nanometric
level, has been shown. Organogels resulting from multiple self-
assembly processes and acting as robust organic templates for the
tetraethoxysilane (TEOS) sol-gel process have been used for the syn-
thesis of different inorganic structures. Furthermore, unarguably,
fuel cells have the potential to become an important energy conver-
sion technology [4]. These materials reveal great potentialities from
the point of view of their chemical composition as well their organi-
zation for concerned applications [5].
