Luminescence of Silica-Pillared Clays and Gels Derived from Aminofunctional Silanes

Silica-pillared clays were prepared by reacting Na-montmorillonite aqueous suspensions with (3-aminopropyl)triethoxysilane (APTEOS). It was indicated that cubic octamers [NH₃⁺(CH₂)₃SiO_3/2]₈ derived from APTEOS are intercalated with two different conformations of the alkyl chains. Namely, the cubic octamers are intercalated with the alkyl chains parallel to the silicate layers at low concentration of APTEOS, and then intercalated with the alkyl chains normal to the silicate layers with increase in APTEOS. Gels were prepared from the reaction of APTEOS with acetic acid and by the conventional sol-gel process using (3-aminopropyl)trimethoxysilane (APTMOS). The luminescence spectra of the gel prepared by the sol-gel process and the intercalated clays were similar to that of silica gels. The gel from APTEOS with acetic acid showed broad visible luminescence. The luminescence spectra and the structures of these materials were described.