Characterization of covalent linkages in organically functionalized MCM-41 mesoporous materials by solid-state NMR...

The covalent linkages formed during functionalization of MCM-41 mesoporous molecular sieves with five chloroalkylsilanes ((EtO)3Si(CH2Cl), (MeO)3Si(CH2CH2CH2Cl), Cl3Si(CH2CH2CH3), Cl2Si(CH3)(CH2Cl) and Cl2Si(CH3)2) have been investigated using high-resolution solid-state NMR spectroscopy and DFT calculations. Structural information was obtained from 1H-13C and 1H-29Si heteronuclear (HETCOR) NMR spectra, in which high resolution in the 1H dimension was obtained by using fast MAS. The 1H-13C HETCOR results provided the assignments of 1H and 13C resonances associated with the surface functional groups. Sensitivity-enhanced 1H-29Si HETCOR spectra, acquired using Carr-Purcell-Meiboom-Gill refocusing during data acquisition, revealed the identity of 29Si sites (Qn, Tn, and Dn) and the location of functional groups relative to these sites. Optimal geometries of local environments representing the Qn, Tn and Dn resonances were calculated using molecular mechanics and ab initio methods. Subsequently, DFT calculations of 29Si, 13C, and 1H chemical shifts were performed using Gaussian 03 at the B3LYP/6-311++G(2d,2p) level. The theoretical calculations are in excellent accord with the experimental chemical shifts. This work illustrates that state-of-the-art spectroscopic and theoretical tools can be used jointly to refine the complex structures of inorganic-organic hybrid materials.