Formation and properties of a hybrid organosilica with a p-phenylene vinylene polymer partially grafted to the walls

The present manuscript reports a mesoporous organosilica (mpSiO ₂) containing a p-phenylene vinylene (PPV) co-polymer partially grafted to the walls of the hybrid material (PPV∩mpSiO₂). This material was obtained by using a bis-silylated 2,5-bis(chloromethylphenylene) as the silicon precursor in combination with tetraethyl orthosilicate (TEOS) and cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTABr) as the surfactant. The final polymer was formed by adding appropriate amounts of 2,2′-{[2,5-bis(chloromethyl)-1,4- phenylene]bis(oxy)}diethanol as the co-monomer and KtBuO as the base. The resulting PPV∩mpSiO₂ was characterized by XRD, SEM, TEM, FTIR spectroscopy, and magic angle spinning ²⁹Si NMR spectroscopy; all spectroscopic data were in agreement with the presence of a conducting polymer. The resulting PPV∩mpSiO₂ material exhibits electrical conductivity, particularly after I₂ doping, an electrochemical response, and electroluminescence. Laser flash photolysis studies of PPV∩mpSiO₂ indicate that this material can form PPV^.+ polarons that could be responsible for the electrochemical and electroluminescent response.