Preparation and Properties of Organic-Inorganic Hybrid Gel Films Based on Polyvinylpolysilsesquioxane Synthesized from Trimethoxy(vinyl)silane

Polyvinylpolysilsesquioxane (PVPS) organic-inorganic hybrid gel films containing polyethylene and siloxane backbone linkages were prepared through the radical polymerization of trimethoxy(vinyl)silane (VTS) followed by the acid-catalyzed hydrolytic polycondensation of trimethoxysilyl groups. The PVPS gel films were transparent and homogeneous. It was found that the mechanical properties of these films correlate both to the degrees of polymerization and to the extent of cross linking.