Oxidation of ferrocene molecules adsorbed in MCM-41

Abstract A mesoporous silica material MCM-41 was synthesized under two different conditions, and ferrocene molecules were adsorbed into one-dimensional pores formed in MCM-41. The pore sizes were determined to be 0.9 and 2.8 nm for the MCM-41 synthesized under an acidic and a basic condition, respectively. The formation of paramagnetic ferricinium ions was observed after the adsorption into pores by ESR, magnetic susceptibility and 57 Fe Mossbauer measurements. Spin densities attributable to ferricinium ions in the pores are estimated to be 0.74 and 0.065 in MCM-41 synthesized under an acidic and a basic condition, respectively. It was shown that the oxidation of ferrocene molecules to ferricinium ions in MCM-41 prepared in an acid solution is faster than that in base at ambient temperature and pressure.