Porous glass composite material

1. A porous glass composite material comprising a gel that comprises water and a polymeric network comprising an alkoxosilane derivative, the network having a group of alterable charge, a hydrophobic group and a hydrophilic group, wherein the alkoxosilane derivative is a derivative of an alkoxosilane having the general formula (OR 1) 3 Si-spacer-Si(OR 2 ) 3 , wherein R 1 and R 2 are the same or different and are selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, unsubstituted branched and unbranched C 1-20 alkyls, substituted branched and unbranched C 1-20 alkyls, unsubstituted branched and unbranched C 1-20 alkenyls, substituted branched and unbranched C 1-20 alkenyls, unsubstituted branched and unbranched C 1-20 alkynlys, substituted branched and unbranched C 1-20 alkynyls, substituted, unsubstituted, and multiple ring aryl groups, and combinations thereof, and

where R 1 is selected from the group consisting of n-(CH 2 ) 2 CH 3 , n-(CH 2 ) 3 CH 3 ,—CH(CH 3 ) 2 , —CH 2 CH(CH 3 ) 2 , —CH(CH 3 )CH 2 CH 3 , —CH 2 CH(CH 3 ) 2 , —CH(CH 3 )CH 2 CH 3 , OPh, —CH 2 CH 2 OH, —CH 2 CH 2 OCH 3 , n-CH 2 (CH 2 ) 16 —CH 3 , n-O(CH 2 ) 3 CH 3 , OCH(CH 3 ) 2 , OCH(CH 3 ) 2 , OCH 2 CH(CH 3 ) 2 , OCH(CH 3 )CH 2 CH 3 , OCH 2 CH 2 OH and OCH 2 CH 2 OCH 3 .

2. A porous glass composite material comprising a gel that comprises water and a polymeric network comprising an alkoxosilane derivative, the network having a group of alterable charge, a hydrophobic group and a hydrophilic group, wherein the alkoxosilane derivative is a derivative of an alkoxosilane having the general formula (OR 1 ) 3 Si-spacer-Si(OR 2 ) 3 , wherein R 1 and R 2 are the same or different and are selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, unsubstituted branched and unbranched C 1-20 alkyls, substituted branched and unbranched C 1-20 alkyls, unsubstituted branched and unbranched C 1-20 alkenyls, substituted branched and unbranched C 1-20 alkenyls, unsubstituted branched and unbranched C 1-20 alkynlys, substituted branched and unbranched C 1-20 alkynyls, substituted, unsubstituted, and multiple ring aryl groups, and combinations thereof; and

wherein R 2 is selected from the group consisting of n-(CH 2 ) 2 CH 3 , n-(CH 2 ) 3 CH 3 , —CH(CH 3 ) 2 , —CH 2 CH(CH 3 ) 2 , —CH(CH 3 )CH 2 CH 3 , —CH 2 CH(CH 3 ) 2 , —CH(CH 3 )CH 2 CH 3 , OPh, —CH 2 CH 2 OH, —CH 2 CH 2 OCH 3 , n-CH 2 (CH 2 ) 16 —CH 3 , n-O(CH 2 ) 3 CH 3 , OCH(CH 3 ) 2 , OCH(CH 3 ) 2 , OCH 2 CH(CH 3 ) 2 , OCH(CH 3 )CH 2 CH 3 , OCH 2 CH 2 OH and OCH 2 CH 2 OCH 3 .

3. The porous glass composite material of claim 2 , further comprising a catalyst that is an acid catalyst or a base catalyst.

4. The porous glass composite material of claim 3 , wherein the catalyst is selected from the group consisting of HCl, HNO 3 , H 2 SO 4 , HClO 4 , NaOH, KOH, NH 4 OH, NH 3 , NH 2 OH, C 5 H 5 N, C 6 H 5 NH 2 , and combinations thereof.

5. The porous glass composite material of claim 2 , further comprising, entrained within the gel, an additive for imparting to the glass composite material a desired functional property.

6. The porous glass composite material of claim 5 , comprising, entrained within the gel, two or more additives for imparting to the glass composite material a desired functional property.

7. The porous glass composite material of claim 5 , wherein the additive is an alkoxosilane precursor having the general formula R n Si(OR) 4-n , wherein R is the same or different and is hydrogen, unsubstituted branched and unbranched C 1-20 -alkyl, substituted branched and unbranched C 1-20 -alkyl, unsubstituted, branched and unbranched C 1-20 -alkenyl, substituted branched and unbranched C 1-20 -alkenyl, unsubstituted branched and unbranched C 1-20 -alkynyl, substituted branched and unbranched C 1-20 -alkynyl, or substituted, unsubstituted, and multiple ring aryl group, and n=1 to 3.

8. The porous glass composite material of claim 5 , wherein the additive is selected from the group consisting of photoactive molecules, photoresponsive molecules, dyes, negatively charged polymers, positively charged polymers, metal ions or complexes thereof, redox-active molecules, biologically active molecules, biologically derived molecules and combinations thereof.

9. The porous glass composite material of claim 8 , wherein the biologically active molecules are selected from the group consisting of carbohydrates, proteins, enzymes, peptides, nucleotides, DNA, RNA, cellular components and combinations thereof.

10. The porous glass composite molecule of claim 9 , wherein the carbohydrate is selected from the group consisting of monosaccharides, disaccharides, polysaccharides and combinations thereof.

11. The porous glass composite molecule of claim 8 , wherein the additive is a photoactive spiropyran molecule.

12. The porous glass composite molecule of claim 11 , wherein the photoactive spiropyran molecule is 1′(2-carboxyethyl)-6-nitroBIPS.

13. The porous glass composite molecule of claim 8 , wherein the additive is a photoresponsive molecule selected from the group consisting of flavin mononucleotide (FMN), β-nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide reduced form (NADH), bacteriorhodopsin, 8-hydroxy-1,3,6-pyrenetrisulfonic acid trisodium salt, luminol (5-amino-2,3-dihydro-1,4-phthalazonedione), bis-N-methylacridinium nitrate (N, N′—dimethyl-9,9′biacridinium dinitrate), flurorescein or its sodium salt (C 20 H 12 O 5 and/or C 20 H 10 O 5 Na 2 ), and combinations thereof.

14. The porous glass composite material of claim 8 , wherein the metal ion is a transition metal ion.

15. The porous glass composite material of claim 14 , wherein the metal ion is a transition metal ion.

16. The porous glass composite material of claim 8 , wherein the additive is selected from the group consisting of a polymer poly(acrylic acid), a polymer poly(itaconic acid), a polymer poly(ethylene glycol) and combinations thereof.

17. A porous glass composite material comprising a gel that comprises water and a polymeric network comprising an alkoxosilane derivative, and an additive entrained within the gel, for imparting to the glass composite material a desired functional property, the network having a group of alterable charge, a hydrophobic group and a hydrophilic group, wherein the alkoxosilane derivative is a derivative of an alkoxosilane having the general formula (OR 1 ) 3 Si-spacer-Si (OR 2 ) 3 , wherein R 1 and R 2 are the same or different and are selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, unsubstituted branched and unbranched C 1-20 alkyls, substituted branched and unbranched C 1-20 alkyls, unsubstituted branched and unbranched C 1-20 alkenyls, substituted branched and unbranched C 1-20 alkenyls, unsubstituted branched and unbranched C 1-20 alkynyls, substituted branched and unbranched C 1-20 alkynyls, substituted, unsubstituted, and multiple ring aryl groups, and combinations thereof; and

wherein the additive is an alkoxosilane precursor selected from the group consisting of

(OR) 3 Si—CH 2 CH 2 CH 2 NHCH 2 CH 2 NH 2 ; (OR) 3 Si—H 2 CH 2 C 6 H 4 CH 2 NHCH 2 CH 2 NH 2 ;

(OR) 3 Si—R; (OR) 3 Si—CH 2 (CH 2 ) 16 CH 3 ; (OR) 2 Si—(R) 2 ;

(OR) 3 Si—CH 2 CH 2 CH 2 NHCH 2 CH 2 NH 2 ;

(OR) 3 Si—CH 2 CH 2 CH 2 N((COO—Na+)CH 2 CH 2 N(COO—Na+) 2 ;

(OR) 3 Si—CH 2 CH 2 CH 2 SH; (OR) 3 Si—CH 2 CH 2 CH 2 OCH 2 CH 2 OCH 2 ;

(OR) 3 Si—CH 2 CH 2 C 5 H 4 N; (OR) 3 Si—CH 2 CH 2 CH 2 NCO;

(OR) 3 Si—CH 2 CH 2 CH 2 COOR; (OR) 3 Si—ROH; (OR) 3 Si—RCOOH; (OR) 3 Si—RCHO;

(OR) 3 Si—RCOR; (OR) 3 Si—CH 2 C 1; (OR) 3 Si—CH 2 CH 2 CH 2 C 6 H 12 O 5 CONH;

(OR) 3 Si—CH 2 CH 2 C 5 H 4 S; (OR)Si—CH 2 CH 2 C 5 H 3 O; and (OR) 3 Si-(CH 2 ) n X wherein X =—F, —Cl, —Br or —I and n=1 to 20, and wherein R is hydrogen, unsubstituted branched and unbranched C 1-20 -alkyl, substituted branched and unbranched C 1-20 -alkyl, unsubstituted branched and unbranched C 1-20 -alkenyl, substituted branched and unbranched C 1-20 -alkenyl, or substituted, unsubstituted, and multiple ring aryl groups, and wherein R is the same or different.

18. A porous glass composite material comprising a gel that comprises water and a polymeric network comprising an alkoxosilane derivative, the network having a group of alterable charge, a hydrophobic group and a hydrophilic group, wherein the alkoxosilane derivative is a derivative of an alkoxosilane having the general formula (OR 1 ) 3 Si-spacer-Si(OR 2 ) 3 , wherein R 1 and R 2 are the same or different and are selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, unsubstituted branched and unbranched C 1-20 alkyls, substituted branched and unbranched C 1-20 alkyls, unsubstituted branched and unbranched C 1-20 alkenyls, substituted branched and unbranched C 1-20 alkenyls, unsubstituted branched and unbranched C 1-20 alkynlys, substituted branched and unbranched C 1-20 alkynyls, substituted, unsubstituted, and multiple ring aryl groups, and combinations thereof, and

wherein the spacer corresponds to a formula selected from a group consisting of —[(CH 2 ) 3 NH(CH 2 ) 2 NH(CH 2 ) 3 —, —[(CH 2 ) 3 NH(CH 2 ) 3 ]—, and —[CH 2 CH 2 CH 2 NHCONHCH 2 CH 2 CH 2 ]—.