Sequential Infiltration Synthesis with Organic Co-reactants for Extensively Swollen Organic–Inorganic Hybrid Thin Films

We demonstrate the growth of polymer–Al–O(−R) hybrid thin films via a sequential infiltration synthesis (SIS). SIS using an organic coreactant resulted in the expansion of the hybrid thin films with a highly uniform distribution of the chemical composition. This behavior stems from the large free volumes created by the long and flexible chains of the organic coreactant, enabling the continued incorporation of SIS precursors into the structures. The proposed method will be a valuable addition to vacuum deposition techniques for both organic–inorganic hybrid thin films and porous inorganic films with tunable porosity, pore morphology, and film thickness.