Electronic properties of an organic molecule within MCM-41 host: a spectroscopic and theoretical study toward elucidating the variation in band gaps of the guest species

An organic molecule salicylidene-1,2-ethanediamine 1, has been encapsulated in the nanocavities of MCM-41 and this nanocomposite material has been investigated by X-ray diffraction, absorption and emission spectroscopy. Results from the spectroscopic measurements show that the bathochromic shift of the 0–0 transitions is correlated with the reduction of the HOMO–LUMO band gap accompanying by the energy changes of the frontier orbitals. Theoretical studies indicate that the energy levels of HOMO and LUMO increase when 1 is confined, and the HOMO is more sensitive than the LUMO.