Synthesis of phthalocyanine-doped silica mesostructured materials by ferrocenyl surfactant

Photosensitive copper phthalocyanine-(CuPc) doped silica mesoporous materials (in powder) have been directly synthesized by a self-organizing coassembly process using a functional surfactant, 11-ferrocenyltrimethylundecylammonium (ferrocenyl TMA) molecules. This simple method shows that it is not necessary to dope molecules into mesoporous channels after the pore becomes opened by calcination. X-Ray diffraction patterns (XRD) show the typical hexagonal diffraction pattern of the mesoporous materials. Optical absorption spectra of these powders show the typical band of the CuPc molecule.