Phenyl-functionalised mesoporous silica films

Spontaneously forming phenyl-functionalised mesoporous silica films were produced using a co-condensation method. The films were examined using neutron reflectometry and Brewster angle microscopy, and the micelles in solution were examined with small angle neutron scattering. The reflectometry results indicated a loss of structure in the films with increasing amounts of the phenyl-functionalised precursor. This change was accompanied by a formation of non-aggregated bilayer type structures in solution. At higher phenyl content these bilayers appear to be stabilized by a tilting of the surfactant alkyl chains. These results are in contrast with the phenyl-free system, which produced films containing cylindrical micelles.