Abstract
High performance functional coatings, based on hybrid organic/inorganic materials, are being developed to combine the polymer flexibility and ease of processing with the mechanical properties and versatility of inorganic materials. By incorporating silica nanoparticles (SiNPs) in the polymeric matrices, it is possible to obtain hybrid polymer films with increased tensile strength and impact resistance, without decreasing the flexural properties of the polymer matrix. The SiNPs can further be used as carriers to impart other functionalities (optical, etc.) to the hybrid films. By using polymer-coated SiNPs, it is possible to reduce particle aggregation in the films and, thus, achieve more homogeneous distributions of the inorganic components and, therefore, better properties. On the other hand, by coating polymer particles with silica, one can create hierarchically structured materials, for example to obtain superhydrophobic coatings. In this review, we will cover the latest developments in films prepared from hybrid polymer/silica functional systems.
Highlights
Hybrid organic/inorganic materials combine the rigidity and high thermal stability of the inorganic material with the flexibility, ductility and processability of the organic polymers
Recent works report the fabrication of hybrid raspberry particles, including Silica nanoparticles (SiNPs)-coated polymer particles and polymer nanoparticle-coated silica particles [16]
Coatings based on hybrid polymer/silica materials combine the flexural properties and processability of the polymer with a varied array of properties that can be imparted by the inorganic components
Summary
Hybrid organic/inorganic materials combine the rigidity and high thermal stability of the inorganic material with the flexibility, ductility and processability of the organic polymers. Silica-polymer hybrid materials can be obtained by mixing organic and inorganic components; it is usually difficult to obtain a homogeneous mixture of silica and organic polymer, due to the formation of SiNP aggregates that strongly affect the properties of the hybrid material. This is in part due to the formation of hydrogen bonds between SiNPs through the silanol groups present on their surface [6]. We will present recent reports of functional hybrid coatings
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