Li, Y.; Dong, X.-H.; Zou, Y.; Wang, Z.; Yue, K.; Huang, M.; Liu, H.; Feng, X.; Lin, Z.; Zhang, W.; Zhang, W.-B.;* Cheng, S.Z.D.* Polyhedral Oligomeric Silsesquioxane Meets “Click” Chemistry: Rational Design and Facile Preparation of Functional Hybrid Materials. Polymer 2017, 125, 303-329. (invited feature article). [Link]

Abstract
The continuous demand for novel hybrid materials in specific technological applications inspires people to develop new synthetic strategies in a modular and efficient way. In the recent years, extensive efforts have been devoted to using polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane (POSS) to construct multifunctional nanohybrids and nanocomposites with tunable hierarchical structures and unparalleled properties. The shape-persistent nanostructure and diverse surface chemistry make those nanocaged materials ideal building blocks for such purposes. Functionalization of POSS cages are further facilitated by the introduction of “click” chemistry at the beginning of this century. “Click” reactions include several kinds of selective and orthogonal chemical ligations with high efficiency under mild reaction conditions. The concept has generated real stimulus not only in elegantly preparing materials of choice, but in making the leap from laboratory to industrial scale-up of POSS-based hybrid materials as well.