Photofunctional hybrid materials with polyoxometalates and benzoate modified mesoporous silica through double functional imidazolium ionic liquid linkage

• Novel linkages of ionic liquid.
• New lanthanide hybrids of mesoporous silica with POMs.
• Luminescence color integration.

In our work, we achieve the multi-component assembly of novel kinds of photofunctional hybrid materials with polyoxometalates (POMs, Na9EuW10O36·32H2O (EuW10O369- denoted as EuW10)) and benzoate (4-aminobenzoate, 4-hydroxybenzoate, 4-mercaptobenzoate) modified mesoporous silica through imidazolium ionic liquid (IL, 1-methyl-3-(trimethoxysilylpropyl) compound as double functional linkage. Using Pluronic P123 surfactant as a template, benzoate functionalized SBA-15 mesoporous host is synthesized as result of the co-condensation of tetraethoxysilane (TEOS) and benzoate modified siloxane as precursor. We fabricate POM into the framework of functionalized SBA-15 mesoporous silica with IL. Here IL behaves as double linkage, which both interact with PMO with electrostatic force through ion exchange and form covalent bond to the functionalized SBA-15 mesoporous silica through its alkoxy group after cohydroxylysis and copolycondensation process. Tb3+ is further introduced into the above hybrid system through coordination bond to carboxylate group of benzoate unit, which can be expected to modify luminescence color and to obtain close white luminescence. The physical characterizations prove these hybrid materials possess high surface area, uniform mesoporous structure, good crystallization and relatively excellent luminescence properties.

In summary, six types of organic–inorganic luminescent mesoporous hybrid materials are synthesized with benzoate modified silane covalently bonded SBA15 and ionic liquid linking PMOs, whose luminescence color can be tunable by the integration to obtain close white light. Figure optionsDownload as PowerPoint slide