The transformation by hydrolysis/condensation of four new mesityl-(bis or tris)imidazolium-based alkoxysilane precursors into their corresponding bridged silsesquioxanes has been investigated. These precursors feature urea groups and either short or long alkylene chains, which are known to favor self-assembly. The most regular nanostructures were obtained by a combination of the tripodal precursors with C10H20 alkylene chains, as shown by powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD) analysis, independent of the reaction conditions.
Keywords: hydrolysis; nanostructures; organosilicas; self-assembly; sol-gel processes.
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