Influence of Polyhedral Oligomeric Silsesquioxanes (POSS) on Thermal and Mechanical Properties of Polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) Composites Filled with Fumed Silica

Studying the Physical and Chemical Properties of Polydimethylsiloxane Matrix Reinforced by Nanostructured TiO2 Supported on Mesoporous Silica

In this study, a reactive adsorbent filler was integrated into a polymeric matrix as a novel reactive protective barrier without undermining its mechanical, thermal, and chemical properties. For this purpose, newly synthesized TiO₂/MCM/polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) composites were prepared, and their various properties were thoroughly studied. The filler, TiO₂/MCM, is based on a (45 wt%) TiO₂ nanoparticle catalyst inside the pores of ordered mesoporous silica, MCM-41, which combines a high adsorption capacity and catalytic capability. This study shows that the incorporation of TiO₂/MCM significantly enhances the composite's Young's modulus in terms of tensile strength, as an optimal measurement of 1.6 MPa was obtained, compared with that of 0.8 MPa of pristine PDMS. The composites also showed a higher thermal stability, a reduction in the coefficient of thermal expansion (from 290 to 110 ppm/°C), a 25% reduction in the change in the normalized specific heat capacity, and an increase in the thermal degradation temperatures. The chemical stability in organic environments was improved, as toluene swelling decreased by 40% and the contact angle increased by ~15°. The enhanced properties of the novel synthesized TiO₂/MCM/PDMS composite can be used in various applications where a high adsorption capacity and catalytic/photocatalytic activity are required, such as in protective equipment, microfluidic applications, and chemical sensor devices.

Study of Gases Permeation in Necklace-Shaped Dimethylsiloxane Polymers Bearing POSS Cages

The transport of small gases (H₂, CO₂, N₂, O₂) through a series of novel membranes based on necklace-shaped inorganic polymers (DMS@POSS), in which a polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane (POSS) cage unit and soft chains of oligo-dimethyl siloxane (DMS) were alternately connected, was investigated. The influence of the DMS chain length and crosslinking density of the DMS@POSS on membrane properties were studied. The membranes revealed characteristic structure-property relation towards both glass transition and gases transport. Specifically, clear dependence of properties from the length of DMS units (or overall siloxane content) was revealed. Gas transport properties, when compared to state-of-art polydimethylsiloxane and commercial silicone rubber, demonstrated significantly higher selectivity of DMS@POSS for carbon dioxide (in CO₂/N₂), hydrogen (in H₂/N₂) and oxygen (in O₂/N₂) but lowered permeability, proportional to the amount of POSS in the material. With a precise control over mechanical and thermal properties compared to conventional silicone rubbers, described materials could be considered as materials of choice in niche gas separation or other applications.

POSS Nanofiller-Induced Enhancement of the Thermomechanical Properties in a Fluoroelastomer Terpolymer

The present study reports on the use of three types of polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxanes (POSS) nanoparticles with various organic substituents as fillers in a fluoroelastomer (FKM). A series of/POSS elastomer composite thin films is prepared. Microstructural SEM/TEM (scanning electron microscopy/transmission electron microscopy) imaging reveals a dispersion state allowing the presence of micron-sized domains. The influence of POSS content is studied in order to optimize thermal stability and mechanical properties of the composite thin films. Both POSS-A (with an acryloyl functional group and seven isobutyl substituents) and POSS-P (with eight phenyl substituents) lead to higher thermal stability and modulus of the composites, with respect to the unfilled FKM terpolymer matrix. covalent grafting of POSS-A onto the FKM network is found to play a critical role. Enhanced storage modulus in the rubbery plateau region (+210% at 200 °C for 20 phr) suggests that POSS-A is particularly suitable for high temperature applications.

Durable and Hydrophobic Organic-Inorganic Hybrid Coatings via Fluoride Rearrangement of Phenyl T12 Silsesquioxane and Siloxanes

There have been many successful efforts to enhance the water shedding properties of hydrophobic and superhydrophobic coatings, but durability is often a secondary concern. Here, we describe durable and hydrophobic coatings prepared via fluoride catalyzed rearrangement reaction of dodecaphenylsilsesquioxane [PhSiO_1.5]₁₂ (DDPS) with octamethylcyclotetrasiloxane (D₄). Hydrophobic properties and wear resistance are maximized by incorporating both low surface energy moieties and cross-linkable moieties into the siloxane network. Water contact angles as high as 150 ± 4° were achieved even after 150 wear cycles with SiC sandpaper (2000 grit, 2 kPa). These hybrid organic-inorganic copolymers also have high thermal stabilities after curing at 250 °C (T_d5% ≥ 340 °C in air) due to the siloxane network with a maximum T_d5% of >460 °C measured for the system with the highest silsesquioxane content. The coating systems presented here offer a unique combination of hydrophobicity and mechanical/thermal stability and could greatly expand the utility of water repellent coatings.

Synergistic interactions between POSS and fumed silica and their effect on the properties of crosslinked PDMS nanocomposite membranes

A facile strategy for the synthesis of binary fumed silica–POSS nanofillers based nanocomposite membranes was developed.