From Solid-State Cluster Compounds to Functional PMMA-Based Composites with UV and NIR Blocking Properties, and Tuned Hues.

New nanocomposite materials with UV-NIR blocking properties and hues ranging from green to brown were prepared by integrating inorganic tantalum octahedral cluster building blocks prepared via solid-state chemistry in a PMMA matrix. After the synthesis by the solid-state chemical reaction of the K[{TaBr}Br] ternary halide, built-up from [{TaBr}Br] anionic building blocks, and potassium cations, the potassium cations were replaced by functional organic cations (Kat) bearing a methacrylate function. The resulting intermediate, (Kat)[{TaBr}Br], was then incorporated homogeneously by copolymerization with MMA into transparent PMMA matrices to form a brown transparent hybrid composite Ta@PMMA.