Metal-organic modification of periodic mesoporous silica: Multiply bonded systems

The use of metal-organic compounds for the organic modification of mesoporous silica such as MCM-41 leads to a fast, efficient, and economic access to inorganic-organic hybrid materials. Using this method, MCM-41 was modified with short-chain alkenes such as allyl and vinyl groups, as well as styrene and different acetylenic molecules. The resulting modified mesoporous materials were characterized with respect to their structural integrity, surface area, and pore volume and the nature and concentration of the grafted species. These grafted periodic mesoporous inorganic-organic hybrid systems offer the potential for a wide range of further modifications aimed at applications in catalysis, sensing, or chemisorption.