Highly porous POSS-polymer nanocomposites synthesized within high internal phase emulsions

PMSE 476

Jenny Normatov and Michael S. Silverstein, michaels@tx.technion.ac.il. Department of Materials Engineering, Technion - Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, 32000, Israel
Highly porous polymer nanocomposites containing a polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane (POSS) were synthesized within high internal phase emulsions (HIPE). The monomers used to synthesize the polyHIPE were 2-ethylhexyl acrylate, divinyl benzene, and POSS bearing one methacrylate group and seven cyclohexyl groups. The molecular structures, morphologies, thermal properties, and mechanical properties were investigated using spectroscopy, microscopy, thermal analysis, and mechanical testing. Typical polyHIPE porous structures and densities resulted for up to 5 mol% POSS in the feed. There was some structural collapse for 9 mol% POSS in the feed (polyHIPE C-9). There were significant increases in the tan delta peak temperature and in the modulus with increasing POSS content. Pyrolysis of C-9 yielded a silica monolith whose mass was 7% of the polyHIPE's mass and similar to the calculated residual mass based on its composition.