Organic‐inorganic hybrid sol‐gel materials, 1. Preparation and characterization

Abstract

AbstractThree organic‐inorganic hybrid materials have been prepared by incorporating poly(styrene‐co‐methyl methacrylate) (poly(St‐co‐MMA)), poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA), and polystyrene (PS) structure units covalently into the SiO2 glass network via the sol‐gel approach. The polymer precursors were synthesized by freeradical copolymerization of styrene and/or methyl methacrylate with 3‐(trimethoxysilyl)propyl methacrylate (MSMA) to obtain the poly(St‐co‐MMA‐co‐MSMA) copolymer (molar ratio St/MMA/MSMA = 30/48/22), poly(MMA‐co‐MSMA) copolymer (molar ratio MMA/MSMA = 76/24), and poly(St‐co‐MSMA) copolymer (molar ratio St/MSMA = 69/31) with glass transition temperatures at about 67°C, 68°C, and 61°C, respectively. The characteristics and properties of the copolymers were characterized by 1H NMR, Fourier‐transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), gel‐permeation chromatography (GPC), elemental analysis, differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). The copolymers were then hydrolysed and co‐condensated with tetraethyl orthosilicate (TEOS) in tetrahydrofuran at room temperature to afford monolithic poly(St‐co‐MMA)SiO2, PMMASiO2, and PS‐SiO2 hybrid sol‐gel materials having SiO2 contents of 16–84 wt.‐%. The thermal properties of the hybrid materials were characterized by TGA and DSC.