Strong visible photoluminescence of TEEDPS-modified silica MCM-41 materials

The photoluminescence (PL) of mesoporous silica MCM-41 modified with triethoxy-3-ethylenediaminepropylsilane (TEEDPS) has been investigated using UV-Vis fluorescence and absorption spectroscopy methods and thermogravimetry. Results suggest that the TEEDPS-modified MCM-41 has a greatly enhanced (by 20 times) PL intensity at 420 nm relative to that of TEEDPS, and this enhanced PL still remains even after post heat treatment at 180°C under vacuum (yielding a sample MTV). Meanwhile, a strong PL band at 450 nm appeared in the sample MTV when excited at 380 nm. The TEEDPS-modified material could be partly oxidized at 180°C in air (yielding a sample MTA); therefore obvious absorption was found up to about 600 nm. The interaction between this absorption and the vacancy-related emission resulted in the maximum of the emission bands of the sample MTA at around 515 nm when excited at 440 nm.