I2 as a probe for aromatic rings in phenylene-bridged periodic mesoporous organosilica

Periodic Mesoporous Organosilicas (PMOs) represent a new class of organic-inorganic hybrid materials suitable for a broad range of applications. In the present contribution iodine vapours were adsorbed on phenylene-bridged PMOs with hexagonal 2D pore structure. The adsorption was followed by UV-visible spectroscopy, and information was obtained concerning the electron donor ability of the structural aromatic rings. Traces of I 3 − species were also detected. A comparison between phenylene-bridged PMOs with two different degrees of molecular order in the walls revealed that aromatic rings in the material with amorphous walls are more available to interaction with iodine.