Patent ID: 8097229

Claim:
A method for functionalizing an inorganic oxide, comprising: providing an inorganic oxide substrate, the substrate having a plurality of surface functional groups on the surface thereof; (ii) providing a functionalizing agent comprising a plurality of organic functionalizing molecules that are free of silicon, wherein each of the organic functionalizing molecules has at least one bonding functional group capable of bonding to the surface functional groups of the substrate and at least one functionalizing moiety that can give the substrate a desired functionality; and (iii) reacting the functionalizing agent with the substrate such that the bonding functional group bonds to the surface of the substrate and the functionalizing moiety remains available to give the substrate the desired functionality so as to yield a functionalized inorganic oxide with functionalizing molecules bonded thereto that do not contain a metal and have functionalizing moieties that are available for bonding.