Hybrid materials and nanocomposite materials, methods of making same, and uses thereof

A method for forming a material comprising the steps of:

• contacting one or more monomers, wherein at least one of the one or more monomers is a cross-linking monomer,
• one or more metal precursor compounds comprising a polymerizable group,
• an initiator,
• a surfactant,
• one or more organic solvents, and
• water,
• such that a reaction mixture that is an aqueous emulsion is formed,
• wherein the metal precursor compounds are present at 10 to 90% by weight of the reaction mixture,
• heating the reaction mixture such that the metal precursor compounds are copolymerized with one or more monomers wherein the reaction between the polymerizable groups of one or more metal precursor compounds and the one or more monomers forms a hybrid material comprising a plurality of uniformly dispersed metal precursor compounds chemically bonded to the polymer matrix and, optionally, isolating the hybrid material, and
• pyrolysing the hybrid material such that a nanocomposite material comprising a plurality of nanoparticles embedded in a carbon matrix is formed, the nanoparticles being formed from the metal component of the one or more metal precursor compounds.