Could you explain the significance of your article to the non-specialist? And what has motivated you to conduct this work?
Organically functionalised silicas obtained by inorganic polymerisation constitute a very fascinating class of materials. Indeed, by changing the nature of the organic moiety, it is possible to obtain materials presenting a large variety of properties such as catalysis, separation environment, optics, etc. Therefore, it is of great interest and that is one of our aims to find chemical routes to get such materials. As two hands are needed to applaud, organically functionalised hybrid materials result from the polymerisation of a molecular precursor with at least two polymerisable groups. However as precursors containing only one polymerisable group are easier to prepare, it would be interesting to find a way leading to materials from such precursor. Here, we show a 'one-pot' method allowing us to obtain highly functionalised hybrid materials (HFHM), starting from a simple molecular precursor containing only one polymerisable group (SiOR)₃ and a cyano group (-'CN'). We used the well-known chemical transformation of cyano groups into carboxylic groups 'COOH'. The key step of this method resides in the molecular recognition of carboxylic groups during the polymerisation process, which involves the in situ formation of dimers by strong hydrogen bonds. Thus, the final materials result from hydrogen bonds formation within the material itself during the polymerisation process.

Where do you see this work developing in the future?
This family of materials can be developed in: 
- Environmental domain, i.e., selective chelation of nuclear ions
- Biological domain as bio-chips or delivery of medicine
These materials with high content of acidic sites per gram of material could be good candidates for high proton conductivity, which is particularly useful in fuel cells domain.

Are there any particular challenges facing future research in this area?
There is a great challenge in this field to find new chemical routes including new modes of recognition to design materials presenting a defined property. In addition, for better physical properties, the crystallisation of these materials will be also another challenge. 

Rola Mouawia (left) was born in Lebanon in 1981. She moved to France in 2003, she received her Master II in 2004 from the university in Paris IV (Pierre & Marie Curie). After, she then moved to Montpellier, where she is researching her Ph.D. project under the supervision of Dr Ahmad Mehdi in the group of Professors Robert Corriu and Catherine Réyé. Her research interests focus on the study of the structuration and multi-functionalisation of hybrid organic-inorganic materials.

Ahmad Mehdi (right) was born in Lebanon in 1967. He moved to France in 1986, where he received his Ph.D. in 1994 from the University of Montpellier under the supervision of Professor Robert Corriu working on silicon and phosphorous hypercoordinated compounds. Subsequently he spent two years as temporary teaching-research post. He become assistant professor in the same University in 1996. His current research interests concern the organic-inorganic hybrid-organized materials for green chemistry, energy and the interactivity at nanometric scale. He has co-authored over 65 scientific papers and patents.

Catherine Reye (left) is professor at the University Institute of Technology in Montpellier, France. She was involved in the chemistry of hypercoordinated species of silicon, germanium and phosphorus. Now, her current research interests focus on the study of the structuration and multifunctionalisation of hybrid organic-inorganic materials.

Robert Corriu (right) (b. 1934), Ph.D. (1961), Emeritus Professor (2002). Elections: Institut Universitaire de France and French Academy of Sciences (1991). International awards: JSPS (1981), ACS Kipping Award (1984), Humboldt Foundation and Max Planck (1992), Wacker prize (1998). Research interests: organosilicon, organophosphorus, coordination chemistry, hybrid materials from inorganic polymerisation, mesoporous solids on the way to interactive materials.