Nanospace Confinement of Conducting Polymers using Mesoporous Silica and Organosilica

Conducting polymers (e.g. poly[2-methoxy-5-(2'-ethyl-hexyloxy)-1,4-phenylen vinylene] (MEH-PPV)) confined in one-dimensional nanoscale channels of mesoporous materials, are expected to lead the novel applications for electroconductive and optoelectronic devices. We investigated the adsorption behavior of MEH-PPV on organically surface-modified mesoporous silica (FSM-16) and mesoporous organosilica. The amount of the confined MEH-PPV was found to strongly depend on the surface modifications of the mesoporous materials. The optical absorption edge of the confined MHE-PPV was clearly blue-shifted when compared to that of a free MHE-PPV.