A process for forming an organic-inorganic hybrid material that can undergo a property change when exposed to an external stimulus, the process comprising providing a prepolymer; and attaching a functional organometal material to the prepolymer, where the functional organometal material comprises a functional moiety that is responsive to an external stimulus such that the organic-inorganic hybrid material exhibits a change in a property of the organic-inorganic hybrid material. The process can further include forming hydrogel particles from the organic-inorganic hybrid material.