New insight into the binding modes of bimetallic clusters and catalytically active nanoparticles to the mesoporous solid MCM-41 has been obtained from solid-state NMR spectroscopic data (see figure, right). From this study, a model has been proposed to explain the interactions between the pore walls and the cluster. It has been shown that the counterion plays an important role in the anchoring process (see figure, left).
Jones, M. D., Duer, M. J., Hermans, S., Khimyak, Y. Z., Johnson, B. F. G., & Meurig Thomas, J. (2002). Solid-state NMR studies of MCM-41 supported with a highly catalytically active cluster. Angewandte Chemie (International Edition), 41(24), 4726-4729. https://doi.org/10.1002/anie.200290029 (Original work published 2002)