Structure control in sol-gel silica synthesis using ionene polymers. 2: Evidence from spectroscopic analysis

By use of the Menshutkin reaction a variety of polyviologens have been synthesised containing bromide or tosylate counter-ions and varying numbers of methylene units. These ionene polymers have been shown to display lyotropic liquid crystalline behaviour. The effects of these polyviologens on the structure of growing silica networks synthesised using the sol-gel method were studied by spectroscopic analysis. Depending on the concentration, the type of polyviologen and whether a lyotropic liquid crystalline phase was used, evidence for an effect of these polymers on silica structure was observed using FTIR and H-1 NMR spectroscopies. The presence and strength of an absorption band at 550 cm(-1) (coupled with an absorption at 450 cm(-1)) was suggestive of some ordering occurring in these materials. Additionally, possible evidence of specific interactions involving the water molecules was obtained from H-1 NMR spectroscopy.