MAL: High performance method for loading hydrophobic molecular materials into MCM-41 mesoporous silica - analysis of confined L-tryptophan by Raman spectroscopy

The capabilities of the recent MAL (Milling-Assisted Loading) method were analyzed for the geometric confinement of amino acids within mesoporous silica matrices. The present study has shown a high filling degree (45 wt%) of L-tryptophan into unmodified MCM-41 pores. It was shown that the low-frequency Raman spectroscopy is a suited technique to determine that molecular materials are actually confined into silica-based ordered mesoporous materials from the analysis of lattice mode region, and to probe the molecular conformation of confined materials and their interaction with the pore surface from the analysis of internal vibrations. (C) 2022 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Automated summary

The capabilities of the recent MAL method were analyzed to confine amino acids within mesoporous silica matrices. The study showed a high filling degree of L-tryptophan into unmodified MCM-41 pores. Low-frequency Raman spectroscopy was found to be a suitable technique for determining the confinement of molecular materials within silica-based ordered mesoporous materials and probing their molecular conformation and interaction with the pore surface.