glass transition temperature i e a glass transition temperature that is preferably at about room temperature 22 u00b0 c or below room temperature the matrix polymer may have any molecular architecture suitable matrix polymers include linear polymers branched polymers hyperbranched polymers combburst polymers dendrons dendrimers cross linked polymers etc specific examples of suitable matrix polymers include but are not limited to linear branched and hyperbranched polycarbosilanes polycarbosiloxanes polycarbosilazenes and polysiloxanes the functionalized particles dispersed in the polymer matrix may be prepared from solid particulates of the type generally referred to as fillers examples of suitable functionalizable particles include various clays synthetic fibers such as nylon fibers aluminum hydroxide calcium silicate zinc oxide carbon fiber glass fiber silica alumina alumina silica carbon black carbon nanotubes fullerene silsesquioxanes and the like each of these materials has hydroxyl or other functional groups that can be reacted with a molecule having a sensory moiety to form a functionalized sensory particle that may be dispersed in a polymer matrix the solid particles or fillers used in this invention may have an average particle size in the range from about one nanometer to several hundred micrometers however smaller particles are preferred particularly those in the range from about 1 nm to about 1000 nm in order to achieve better more uniform dispersion of the particles in the matrix preferred solid filler particles for use in the invention include polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxanes poss the poss particles have a rigid closed cage siloxane sio structure methods of preparing various poss structures are well known for example polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxanes having hydridosilyl sih vinyl allyl thiol amine haloalkyl and.