Materials synthesis using oxide free sol-gel systems.

This tutorial review highlights some active areas of research into non-oxide sol-gel chemistry. These aim to capture some of the advantages of methods developed mainly with oxides for a new generation of functional materials based on main group and metal nitrides, and semiconducting chalcogenides. Sol-gel processing has a long track record in producing useful materials for optical, magnetic, electrical, catalytic and structural applications. Controlled morphologies can be produced on all lengths scales, from ordered mesoporous arrays to thin films, fibres and monoliths. Hence there is an opportunity to produce new morphologies in non-oxides and hence new applications of these materials.