Fabrication of a high thermal-stable methacrylate-silicate hybrid nanocomposite: hydrolytic versus non-hydrolytic sol-gel synthesis of methacryl-oligosiloxanes

Abstract

A high thermal-stable methacrylate-silicate hybrid nanocomposite (hybrimer) was fabricated based on UV-induced polymerization of a highly-condensed methacryl-oligosiloxane resin (Hy-MO). The Hy-MO resin was newly synthesized via an acid-catalyzed hydrolytic sol-gel reaction of 3-(methacryloxy) propyl trimethoxysilane (MPTS) and diphenyldimethoxysilane. The basic properties of Hy-MO were compared with a conventional resin prepared by a Ba(OH)(2)center dot H(2)O-catalyzed non-hydrolytic sol-gel reaction of MPTS and diphenylsilanediol (N-MO). It was found that Hy-MO have a higher siloxane condensation degree, larger molecular size and weight than the N-MO due to the highly mobile proton ions that effectively catalyze the overall sol-gel reaction. The resultant Hy-MO hybrimer showed a higher thermal stability than N-MO hybrimer.