Incorporation of a semiconductive polymer into mesoporous SBA-15 platelets: Toward new luminescent hybrid materials

A polyphenylenevinylene derivative electroluminescent polymer was successfully incorporated into the channels of mesoporous silica SBA-15 with platelet morphology, and the obtained material was fully characterized by mean of X-ray diffraction, nitrogen physisorption porosimetry, infrared spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance (SS-NMR) spectroscopy, ultraviolet-visible (UV-vis) spectroscopy and photoluminescence spectroscopy. The hybrid host-guest system displays significant pore size and volume restriction, along with luminescent properties that mimic those of the polymer in solution, as a consequence of strongly reduced aggregation of the polymer chains when confined in the SBA-15 channels. Moreover, the new composite material possesses a higher photostability than the pure polymer and represents a promising candidate for further use in the field of optoelectronic devices.