Synthesis and characterization of poly(hydroxylic fluoroacrylate)/mSiO2 nanocomposite by in situ solution polymerization

Abstract

AbstractIn this study, vinyl‐group modified nanosilicas (mSiO2) were prepared via sol–gel method using vinyltriethoxysilane (VTES) as modifier first, then the novel poly(hydroxylic fluoroacrylate)/mSiO2 nanocomposite was successfully synthesized by in situ solution polymerization of mSiO2 with dodecafluoroheptyl methacrylate (DFHMA), β‐hydroxyethyl methacrylate (HEMA), methyl methacrylate (MMA), and butyl acrylate (BA) initiated by 2,2‐azobisisobutyronitrile (AIBN) in the co‐solvents of ethyl acetate and butyl acetate. The chemical composition and structure of the nanocomposite were characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectrometry (FTIR) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). TEM observation indicated that mSiO2 nanoparticles obtained a well dispersion in polymeric matrix. Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) studies revealed that the temperature corresponding to 50% weight loss of the nanocomposite was improved by 21.5°C with the addition of 2.0 wt % mSiO2. The synthesized nanocomposites were applied to use with hexamethylene diisocyanate trimer (HDIT) to prepare polyurethane materials. Tensile test revealed that polyurethane material with mSiO2 content of 2.0 wt % showed an ultimate tensile strength of about 5.19 times higher than that without mSiO2. The polyurethane films displayed surface energy of lower than 25 mN m–1 and high light transmittance. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci., 2013