A molecular precursor route to oxide networks and nanocomposite materials. An alternative to the sol-gel method

Advanced solid-state materials with useful properties increasingly involve intricate 3-dimensional networks, characterized complex stoichiometries (e.g., in ceramic superconductors such as HgBa{sub 2}Ca{sub 2}Cu{sub 3}O{sub 8-{delta}}) and/or metastable architectures (e.g., in zeolites). New generations of materials will undoubtedly result from chemically directed, low-temperature synthetic routes. Our approach involves use of synthesis, coordination chemistry, and condensation reactions for construction of novel 3-dimensional networks. Primary targets have been oxide-based materials, which are derived from tailored, oxygen-rich precursor molecules. Initial directions have been based on metal complexes of the siloxide ligand OSi(O{sup t}Bu){sub 3} and the phosphate ligand O{sub 2}P(O{sup t}Bu){sub 2}, which eliminate isobutylene and water cleanly at remarkably low temperatures (100-200{degrees}C) to form M{sub x}Si{sub y}O{sub z} or M{sub x}P{sub y}O{sub z} materials. Attempts are made to take advantage of the chemistry of network formation and the homogeneity of the resulting systems to control the course of phase transformations at higher temperatures.