Hyperpolarized 129Xe NMR as an Alternative Approach for Investigating Structure and Transport in Ordered Mesoporous Materials Prepared via Pseudomorphic Transformation

The stepwise pseudomorphic transformation of silica gel and porous glass into MCM-41 (Mobil Composition of Matter No. 41) has been investigated for the first time with hyperpolarized 129Xe NMR. The changes in structure were followed by changes in the line shape and chemical shift of the 129Xe NMR signals, whereby variable temperature (VT)-NMR and selective 1D exchange spectroscopy (EXSY) experiments revealed differences in the mechanism of the transformation, depending on the starting material.