POSS derivatives containing extremely different surface properties as emulsifiers in colloidal systems

Abstract

The role of functionalized polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane (POSS) in emulsion systems is still insufficiently researched. Therefore, this paper presents two aspects. First, the effect of the sequence of olefin introduction and the olefins chemical character on the course and efficiency of hydrosilylation was studied. The use of olefins of drastically different properties was expected to maximally expose their impact on the efficiency of hydrosilylation. The second involve the application of the obtained compounds to be used as emulsifier. Functionalized silsesquioxanes were obtained by subsequent hydrosilylation of spherosilicate with two olefins that is allyl-octafluoropentyl ether and allyl polyether. The hydrosilylation process was monitored by IR spectroscopy in real time. All obtained compounds were used as emulsifiers and the stability of colloidal systems was analyzed using multiple light scattering. Moreover, emulsion stability index over time was also determined. According to the results, both the sequence and the type of introduced substituents have impact on the rate of hydrosilylation. Moreover, it has been shown that the moment of the catalyst addition also influences the character of the process. The results proved that the introduction of fluoroalkyl groups and polyether substituents significantly changed the emulsifying properties of POSS.