Monitoring the grafting process by IR spectroscopy (Figure ), it is evident that the OH group are mostly consumed; the free OH groups present SiO2-700 (O-H stretching band at ca. 3750 cm -1 ) are strongly diminished in the grafted materials (1-M/SiO2-700) suggesting grafting via deprotonation, while organic fragments are observed from the emergence of C-H stretching bands (around 3000 cm -1 ). Several weak bands appear in the region of the N-H stretching frequency (3200 cm -1 -3400 cm -1 ), suggesting protonation of the DIA ligand rather than allyl. Furthermore, a strong band emerges at ca. 1620 cm -1 upon grafting that is not present in the molecular compound, consistent with the C=N double bond forming upon protonation of the amidinate ligand. This is in line with the proposed grafting mechanism shown in Figure .