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.