Polysaccharides/silica hybrid materials: New perspectives for sustainable raw materials

Polysaccharides/silica hybrids prepared through sol-gel reaction have been studied as a model for new generation of hybrid materials for a virtually unlimited number of applications. Numerous studies have therefore attempted to increase the homogeneity between the organic and inorganic moieties using a wide variety of silica precursors and crosslinking reagents. The current review summarizes and discusses the attempts for using polysaccharides for producing hybrid materials with collective properties from the two counterparts. It discusses several issues and strategies to tune the homogeneity of polysaccharide/silica hybrids and the potential applicability of these hybrid materials in biomedical and industrial fields.