Patent ID: 8716424

Claim:
A process for synthesizing an organic/inorganic composite, comprising: dissolving i) a metallic compound comprising a metal atom and ii) an organo alkoxysilane comprising at least one alkoxy group and a silicon atom that is covalently bonded to an organic group in a first solvent, which is a polar solvent, thereby preparing a raw material solution; synthesizing by hydrolyzing and condensing said organo alkoxysilane and said metallic compound present in said raw material solution to obtain a synthesized organic/inorganic composite present in said raw material solution; adding a second solvent, which does not dissolve compatibly with said raw material solution that has undergone said hydrolyzing and condensing, to the raw material solution, thereby dissolving said synthesized organic/inorganic composite in the second solvent to form a second solution; equilibrating the second solution to form a first aqueous layer and a second layer comprising the synthesized organic/inorganic composite, said first aqueous layer and said second layer being separate layers; and thereafter removing the aqueous layer to separate the second layer from the aqueous layer to obtain a third solution comprising the synthesized organic/inorganic composite, wherein the synthesized organic/inorganic composite comprises an oxide of silicon and metal and an organic group that is bonded to the silicon atom; the oxide comprises a bond expressed by formula (I) M-O-M (1), where M independently represents a silicon atom or a metal atom; the synthesized organic/inorganic composite having a phyllosillicate-mineral lamellar structure comprising a 2:1 or 1:1 laminated body with a tetrahedral structural layer that is constituted of a tetrahedral facial structure in which said silicon atom makes the central atom; and an octahedral structural layer that is constituted of an octahedral facial structure in which said metal atom makes the central atom.