In situ fluorescence probing of the chemical and structural changes during formation of hexagonal phase cetyltrimethylammonium bromide and lamellar phase CTAB/ Poly(dodecylmethacrylate) sol–gel silica thin films

Surfactant-templated mesostructured sol–gel films formed by evaporation induced self assembly (EISA) exhibit highly-ordered hexagonal, lamellar, and cubic structures. The steady-state dip-coating configuration allows both the chemistry and the dynamics of the EISA process to be traced in real time because the steps involved in the formation of the mesostructured material are separated both spatially and temporally in the dip-coating direction. The dynamic processes occurring during film formation can be conveniently monitored by the combination of interferometry and fluorescence spectroscopy of incorporated molecular probes. The selected probes respond to changes in their rotational mobility and the surrounding solvent composition and report these changes through their fluorescence characteristics. By taking in situ fluorescence spectra at various positions within the progressively thinning film, changes in the solvent composition, onset of micelle formation and further organization to the final mesophase structure can be followed. The luminescence of the probe molecule is measured with a spatial resolution of 100 lm. Two categories of surfactant-templated mesostructured sol–gel films were examined. Cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) systems assemble into a 2-D hexagonal surfactant/silica mesophase with the surfactant concentration used in this study. CTAB dodecylmethacrylate systems assemble into a lamellar mesophase, which can be further polymerized to form a poly(dodecylmethacrylate)/silica hybrid nanocomposite that mimics nacre. X-ray diffraction patterns, transmission electron microscopy images, and other techniques are used to characterize the final films.