Transparent polyvinylsilsesquioxane aerogels: investigations on synthetic parameters and surface modification

Abstract

Systematic investigations on the effect of synthetic conditions onto the properties of polyvinylsilsesquioxane (CH2=CHSiO3/2) aerogels have been conducted. As previously reported, transparent polyvinylsilsesquioxane aerogels can be obtained by utilizing a liquid surfactant as a solvent and a two-step sol–gel reaction involving hydrolysis catalyzed by a strong acid and subsequent polycondensation by a strong base. In this study, effects of base catalyst, gelation and aging conditions, amount of surfactant and concentration of acid catalyst have been investigated. With the optimized synthetic condition, the value of light transmittance reaches as high as 70% (at the wavelength of 550 nm for a 10-mm thick sample). Applicability of addition reactions utilizing thiol-ene reactions and hydrosilylation has also been surveyed. Thiol-ene reactions are relatively effective and can modify surface hydrophobicity and mechanical properties of polyvinylsilsesquioxane aerogels. In the case of hydrosilylation, a partial addition of a hydrosilane compound onto the polyvinylsilsesquioxane gel surface can be observed. Addition reactions, in particular thiol-ene reactions, are found to be profitable for implementing chemical functionality on the transparent aerogels.