Inorganic-Organic Layered Materials Derived via the Hydrolysis and Polycondensation of Trialkoxy(alkyl)silanes

Triethoxy(alkyl)silanes containing 12-18 carbon atoms in the alkyl groups were hydrolyzed and polycondensed to form ordered structured materials. The XRD pattern of each condensed product showed sharp diffraction peaks with higher orders. The basal spacings approximately corresponded to twice the extended molecular length of the alkyl groups, and increased linearly as a function of the alkyl chain length. The SEM images of the products exhibited a platy morphology, and the ²⁹Si CP/MAS NMR spectra revealed the formation of siloxane bonds with various silicon sites from T¹ to T³ environments. All of these results indicated the formation of highly-organized inorganic-organic layered materials.