Organometallic phosphors as building blocks in sol-gel chemistry: luminescent organometallo-silica materialsElectronic supplementary information (ESI) available: Experimental general methods and full crystallographic information of the structure of complex 2. Theoretical calculation data for complex 1 and textural and spectroscopic data of the complexes and hybrid organometallo-silica materials. CCDC 1550901 (2). For ESI and crystallographic data in CIF or other electronic format see DOI: 10.103

In this study, a series of luminescent mesoporous hybrid organometallo-silica materials were successfully prepared via sol-gel coordination chemistry. The condensation of organometallic Ir( iii ) and Pt( ii ) complexes containing a 2-(diphenylphosphino)ethyltriethoxysilane (PPETS) ligand with the silica precursor (TEOS) yielded hybrid materials with homogeneous metal incorporation in the silica network and excellent luminescent and textural properties. All the reactions were carried out at room temperature and in the absence of a surfactant. Powders and transparent gels were prepared by adjusting the synthesis conditions and amounts of incorporated organometallic complex, yielding very stable emissive materials. When organometallics meet silica, the solid state mimics solution! Condensation of organometallic Ir( iii ) and Pt( ii ) phosphors with TEOS yields highly stable luminescent hybrid organometallo-silica materials with excellent optical and textural properties.