Effect of different structured POSS/GMA-containing copolymers on the morphology of porous coating by breath-figures method

Abstract

Polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane (POSS) and glycidyl methacrylate (GMA) are used to synthesize linear L-(PGMA-b-MA-POSS), dicephalous D-(PGMA-b-MA-POSS)2, and four-armed T-(PGMA-b-MA-POSS)4 through atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP). These different structured POSS/GMA-containing copolymers are applied to build the porous films through breath-figures (BF) method. L-(PGMA-b-MA-POSS) is easy to form the ordered porous BF film, and T-(PGMA-b-MA-POSS)4 tends to form well-distributed BF film due to its high segment density which is beneficial to stabilize water drop. It is proven that solvent has a great effect on the morphologies of BF film. The perfect BF film is developed in the relatively wet atmosphere as 5–8 μm diameter of pores casted in THF and 2–4 μm diameter of pores casted in CH2Cl2 with regular morphology. The developed BF film has superior stability than the film developed in natural conditions due to the shorter stable balancing time. Therefore, it is believed that the obtained porous films show great potential in coating application.