Structural and dynamic studies of water in mesoporous silicas using neutron scattering and nuclear magnetic resonance

Experimental techniques for studying the behaviour of water in confined geometry using neutron scattering and NMR methods are reviewed. A brief survey is given of earlier work on sol-gel silicas and these findings are updated by reference to current work on MCM- and SBA-type silicas. Particular attention is focused on the phase transitions and the relation between supercooled water and ice phases in the confined geometry of the mesopores. The characteristics are found to behave in a systematic manner although the nucleation phenomenon for partially filled pores reveals some unexpected complexity for the SBA silicas.