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In this work, we have developed a chemical procedure enabling the preparation of highly ordered and vertically aligned mesoporous silica films containing selected contents of silver ions bonded inside the mesopore channels via anchoring propyl-carboxyl units. The procedure involves the electrochemically assisted self-assembly co-condensation of tetraethoxysilane and (3-cyanopropyl)triethoxysilane in the presence of cetyltrimethylammonium bromide as a surfactant, the subsequent hydrolysis of cyano groups into carboxylate ones, followed by their complexation with silver ions. The output materials have been electrochemically characterized with regard to the synthesis effectiveness in order to confirm and quantify the presence of the silver ions in the material. The mesostructure has been observed by transmission electron microscopy. We have pointed out that it is possible to finely tune the functionalization level by controlling the co-condensation procedure, notably the concentration of (3-cyanopropyl)triethoxysilane in the synthesis medium. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The synthesis routes are presented for the preparation of nanocomposites composed of nanocrystals placed inside SBA-15 silica pores. The procedures assume treating the silica channels as nanoreactors, where nanocrystals are created as a result of thermal decomposition of internal functional units. Its sizes and chemical composition can be modified by the change of functional group types and density inside silica channels. The procedure is demonstrated by the example of copper pyrophosphate quantum dots and silver oxide nanoparticles inside silica mezochannels. The method can be easily adopted to other types of nanocrystals that can be synthesized inside silica nanoreactors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nanophotonics is one of the most important branches of electronics. The search for and design of novel and more efficient laser-operated materials seems to be fully justified. Therefore, here, we show how to fabricate materials that have an enhanced non-linear optical response using a procedure of synthesis in a silica nanoreactor. We obtained the initial material through the precise functionalisation of SBA-15 silica using nickel phosphonate units that were anchored inside the silica channels by propyl chains, which was then transformed into an optically active nanocomposite after thermal processing. Using thermogravimetry, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), Raman vibrational analysis, and N 2 sorption analysis, we analysed the thermal behaviour of the initial functional material. All research that is connected with second- and third-order optical harmonic generation enables the structural changes in these materials and their influence on their optical properties to be explored. Nonlinear optical measurements confirmed our assumption that material that is prepared using silica nanoreactors can have precisely tailored properties, in this case, nonlinear optical properties. • The procedure of synthesis in silica nanoreactors was presented. • The obtained material synthesised presented superior NLO properties. • Porosity was utilised for inducing the charge displacement in crystals. • Thermal behaviour of functionalised SBA-15 was analysed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]