Optical Properties of Nanostructures Obtained by Encapsulation of Cation Chromophores in Y Zeolite

Several unsaturated cation chromophores have been prepared by ship-in-the-bottle synthesis in the supercages of Y zeolite as a host. The guests were encapsulated into the zeolite in their H+ form in the liquid phase. The chromophores were assembled inside the void space of the zeolite through the reaction of the different aldehydes, 3-phenyl-2-propynal (A), trans,trans-2,4-hexadienal (B), and trans-2-pentenal (C), with the N,N-dimethylaniline. The appropriate synthesis involved using an N,N-dimethylaniline/aldehyde molar ratio of 2:1. The host guest chromophores obtained have been fully characterized by chemical analysis, spectroscopic methods (FTIR and UV/vis), N-2 adsorption isotherms, powder X-ray diffraction, and scanning electron microscopy. Fluorescence studies provided direct evidence that the cation species are located inside the zeolite supercages of these host guest chromophore materials.