Influence of POSS structure on the fire retardant properties of epoxy hybrid networks

Monofunctional Polyhedral Oligomeric Silsesquioxanes (POSS), differing in chemical structure, were introduced into an epoxy-amine formulation in order to obtain hybrid organic/inorganic epoxy networks. The process developed allows the POSS to be either covalently bonded to the network and organized in small amorphous domains, or completely dispersed in larger crystalline domains. Morphology, thermal and fire retardant properties were studied through electron microscopy, DSC, TGA, cone calorimeter experiments and UL94 tests. It was demonstrated that POSS nanoclusters induced an effective fire retardant effect, which was controlled by several factors. It was shown that POSS bearing phenyl ligands were far more effective than POSS with isobutyl ligands, and that the presence of a chemical linkage between the phenyl-based POSS clusters and the matrix favoured the dispersion of the nanoclusters, resulting in enhanced fire retardancy. The fire retardant effect was only slightly enhanced by increasing the amount of POSS nanoclusters.     

Study on thermal degradation and combustion behaviors of PC/POSS hybrids

Polycarbonate/polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane hybrids were prepared based on bisphenol A polycarbonate (PC) and trisilanolphenyl-POSS (TPOSS) by the melt blending method. Investigation of transmission electronic microscopy and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy confirms that the nanoscale TPOSS particles were well dispersed in the PC matrix and there is no chemical reaction between the TPOSS particles and PC matrix during the melt blending. The thermal degradation behaviors of the PC/TPOSS hybrids were investigated. The presence of TPOSS significantly affects the thermal degradation process of PC. The combustion behaviors of the hybrids were evaluated by cone calorimetry experiments. The addition of TPOSS significantly decreased the value of peak heat release rate of the hybrids. Moreover, the addition of TPOSS at 2 wt% leads to the maximum decrease of the PHRR. And scanning electron microscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy were used to explore the char residues of the pure PC and the hybrids.     

Bridged polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane (POSS): A potential member of silsequioxanes

Two novel and well-defined polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxanes（POSS） with two same Si₈O₁₂ cores and a reactive NH group, namely bridged-POSS（2a and 2b）,have been prepared by the traditional ’corner-capping’ reaction.X-ray diffraction demonstrates that those two POSS have the similar T₈ structure.From the thermo-gravimetric analysis,bridged-POSS shows the belter thermal degradation stability than the contrastive POSS.     

Design of Fluorescent Hybrid Materials Based on POSS for Sensing Applications

Polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane (POSS) has a nanoscale silicon core and eight organic functional groups on the surface, with sizes from 0.7 to 1.5 nm. The three-dimensional nanostructures of POSS can be used to build all types of hybrid materials with specific performance and controllable nanostructures. The applications of POSS-based fluorescent materials have spread across various fields. In particular, the employment of POSS-based fluorescent materials in sensing application can achieve high sensitivity, selectivity, and stability. As a result, POSS-based fluorescent materials are attracting increasing attention due to their fascinating vistas, including unique structural features, easy fabrication, and tunable optical properties by molecular design. Here, we summarize the current available POSS-based fluorescent materials from design to sensing applications. In the design section, we introduce synthetic strategies and structures of the functionalized POSS-based fluorescent materials, as well as photophysical properties. In the application section, the typical POSS-based fluorescent materials used for the detection of various target objects are summarized with selected examples to elaborate on their wide applications.     

Polymerization and nanocomposites properties of multifunctional methylmethacrylate POSS

Thermally induced polymerization of multifunctional methylmethacrylate POSS (MMA‐POSS) was studied in this work for preparation of polymer/POSS nanocomposites. The polymerization of MMA‐POSS could be promoted with benzoyl peroxide (BPO). Self‐assembly of POSS into a layer‐by‐layer structure in the MMA‐POSS polymer (TP‐MMA‐POSS) is observed with a transmission electron microscopy. An ultra‐low‐k value of about 1.85 is measured with TP‐MMA‐POSS. In addition, polyimide‐POSS nanocomposites are also prepared. These nanocomposites demonstrate good homogeneity and enhanced mechanical properties. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 46: 5157–5166, 2008     

Thermal degradation behaviors of epoxy resin/POSS hybrids and phosphorus–silicon synergism of flame retardancy

Epoxy resin (EP)/polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane (POSS) hybrids were prepared based on octavinyl polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane (OVPOSS) and phosphorus‐containing epoxy resin (PCEP). The PCEP was synthesized via the reaction between bisphenol A epoxy resin (DGEBA) and 9,10‐dihydro‐9‐oxa‐10‐phosphaphenanthrene‐10‐oxide (DOPO). The structure and morphology of PCEP/OVPOSS hybrids were characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and transmission electron microscopy. Differential scanning calorimetry revealed that the PCEP/OVPOSS hybrids possessed higher glass transition temperatures than that of PCEP. The thermal stability of the PCEP/OVPOSS hybrids was studied using thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). The TGA results illustrated the synergistic effect of phosphorus–silicon of flame retardancy: phosphorus promotes the char formation, and silicon protects the char from thermal degradation. The thermal degradation mechanism of the PCEP/OVPOSS hybrids was investigated by real time Fourier transform infrared spectra and pyrolysis/gas chromatogram/mass spectrometry (Py‐GC/MS) analysis. It was found that OVPOSS migrated to the surface of the matrix and then sublimed from the surface in nitrogen; whereas, the vinyl groups of OVPOSS were oxidated to form a radical trap which could react with pyrolysis radicals derived from PCEP to form the branched and crosslinked structure in air. The combustion behaviors of the hybrids were evaluated by micro combustion calorimetry. The addition of OVPOSS obviously decreased the value of peak heat release rate and total heat release of the hybrids. Moreover, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy were used to explore the char residues of the PCEP and the hybrids. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 48: 693–705, 2010     

A novel poly-benzoxazinyl functionalized polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane and its nanocomposite with polybenzoxazine

The novel poly-benzoxazinyl functionalized polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane macromonomer (BZ-POSS), containing 7.6 benzoxazine groups per molecule on average was synthesized from octaaminophenylsilsesquioxane, p-cresol and paraformaldehyde. BZ-POSS was well miscible with bisphenol A-based benzoxazine (BBZ) melt. By ring-opening copolymerization of BBZ and BZ-POSS under condition similar to that used for polymerizing neat BBZ, the transparent and uniform BBZ/BZ-POSS organic-inorganic hybrid nanocomposites were prepared. The nano-scale dispersion of POSS cores in the nanocomposite was verified by powder X-ray diffraction and transmission electron microscopy studies. Dynamic mechanical analyses and thermal gravimetric analysis indicated that thermal stabilities, cross-link densities and the flame retardance of the nanocomposites were increased in comparison with neat PBBZ resin, although only small amounts of inorganic POSS cores were incorporated into the systems. Structural analyses of BZ-POSS and BBZ/BZ-POSS nanocomposites are discussed herein.     

Effects of novel polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane containing hydroxyl group and epoxy group on the dicyclopentadiene bisphenol dicyanate ester composites

Two types of novel Polyhedral Oligomeric Silsesquioxanes respectively containing hydroxyl group and epoxy group (P-POSS and E-POSS) were achieved and evaluated. The structure had been characterized by IR spectra and NMR spectra. Dicyclopentadiene bisphenol dicyanate ester (DCPDCE) composites were then prepared using P-POSS and E-POSS respectively. Their effect on the curing kinetics, dielectric, mechanical, flame-retardant and thermal properties and water absorption of the resulting composites were investigated. The results suggested that the addition of modified POSS could facilitate the curing reaction of DCPDCE. Besides, the DCPDCE composites containing modified POSS exhibited excellent flame-retardant property over pure DCPDCE resin. Adding only a little amount as small as 1.5 wt% P-POSS or 2.5 wt% E-POSS could change the UL-94V of DCPDCE resin from V-2 to V-0. The composite with P-POSS exhibited better flame-retardant and thermal properties than the composite with E-POSS. However, composite filled with E-POSS presented better dielectric property and lower water absorption.     

POSS基杂化含氟丙烯酸酯共聚物涂膜的表面相分离与疏水性研究

采用自由基溶液聚合法成功合成了多面体低聚倍半硅氧烷(POSS)基杂化含氟丙烯酸酯共聚物,并采用核磁共振仪(NMR)和凝胶渗透色谱仪(GPC)表征了共聚物,其中POSS和含氟单体分步加入到反应中.首先将共聚物溶解到三氟三氯乙烷(F113)和乙酸乙酯的混合溶剂中配制成溶液,然后通过直接在玻璃片上滴落共聚物溶液制备了共聚物涂膜.采用扫描电子显微镜(SEM)、X-射线光电子能谱(XPS)、原子力显微镜(AFM)和接触角测量仪考察了F113和乙酸乙酯的配比对共聚物涂膜表面形貌、表面元素组成、表面粗糙度以及表面疏水性的影响.实验数据表明POSS在表面能够聚集成纳米颗粒并能极大增强涂膜表面粗糙度和疏水性.共聚物表面同时存在POSS聚集与有机相微相分离两类相分离行为,并形成了复合粗糙结构.虽然POSS和含氟段竞争迁移到表面,但是随着混合溶剂中F113的增多,涂膜表面含氟量越来越多,同时POSS在表面的聚集体越来越少,表面平均粗糙度越来越小,最终涂膜的疏水性越来越强,这说明F113有助于提升氟的趋表迁移能力,使涂膜表面含氟链段占据较多的表面空间,从而抑制了POSS在表面聚集分布.当使用纯F113作为溶剂时,共聚物涂膜的表面氟含量为45.25%,平均粗糙度为93.4 nm,此时静态水接触角最大为135.0?,表现出优异的疏水性.     

Rigid polyurethane foams reinforced with disilanolisobutyl POSS: Synthesis and properties

This work reports the synthesis of rigid polyurethane (PU) foams modified by disilanolisobutyl polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane (DSIPOSS). This open‐cage nanostructure silsesquioxane has 2 hydroxyl groups and therefore can be chemically built directly in the PU backbone to form hybrid polyurethane‐POSS foam. Synthesis procedure using polymeric 4,4′‐diphenylmethane diisocyanate, polyetherol, and DSIPOSS has been elaborated, and the influence of POSS on the cell structure, closed cell content, apparent density, thermal conductivity, and compression strength of the rigid polyurethane composites has been evaluated. The hybrid composite foams containing 1.5 and 2.0 wt% DSIPOSS showed a reduced number of cells and an increased average area of foam cells in comparison with the unmodified PU, while the addition of 0.5wt% of DSIPOSS causes an increase in the number of cells of the foam as compared with the reference and thus a reduction in the average area of cells. X‐ray microtomography provided data on the porous structure of polyurethane hybrid materials, including reduction of the pore surface area. Scanning electron microscopy and energy‐dispersive X‐ray spectroscopy analysis revealed a good homogenization of DSIPOSS in polyurethane matrix. Thermogravimetric analysis results have shown that incorporation of POSS nanoparticles into PU foam does not significantly change the degradation process. The compressive strength of PUF‐POSS hybrids in the direction parallel and perpendicular to the direction of foam rise is greater than the strength of the reference foam already for the lowest DSIPOSS content.     

带功能基的笼形倍半硅氧烷合成进展

笼形倍半硅氧烷(POSS)是基于化学键合作用而形成的分子内杂化体系,这种有着规整立体结构同时具有单纳米尺度的有机无机杂化分子引起了研究人员的广泛关注,独特的纳米笼形结构也为分子水平上改进高分子的科学研究提供了可能性.本文综述了多面体倍半硅氧烷(POSS)的结构、性能与合成方法,重点介绍了巯基POSS、金属杂化POSS、...     

Thermal and dynamic mechanical properties of epoxy resin/poly(urethane‐imide)/polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane nanocomposites

Linear isocyanate‐terminated poly(urethane‐imide) (PUI) with combination of the advantages of polyurethane and polyimide was directly synthesized by the reaction between polyurethane prepolymer and pyromellitic dianhydride (PMDA). Then octaaminophenyl polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane (OapPOSS) and PUI were incorporated into the epoxy resin (EP) to prepare a series of EP/PUI/POSS organic–inorganic nanocomposites for the purpose of simultaneously improving the heat resistance and toughness of the epoxy resin. Their thermal degradation behavior, dynamic mechanical properties, and morphology were studied with thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA), dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA), and transmission electron microscope (TEM). The results showed that the thermal stability and mechanical modulus was greatly improved with the addition of PUI and POSS. Moreover, the EP/PUI/POSS nanocomposites had lower glass transition temperatures. The TEM results revealed that POSS molecules could self assemble into strip domain which could switch to uniform dispersion with increasing the content of POSS. All the results could be ascribed to synergistic effect of PUI and POSS on the epoxy resin matrix. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Synthesis and Luminescent Property of Polycarbazole/Polyhedral Oligomeric Silsesquioxane Nanocomposites

Polyvinylcarbazole（PVK） composites containing organic-inorganic hybrid polyhedral oligomeric silse-squioxane（POSS） PVK-POSS were prepared by free radical polymerization. POSS monomers reacted with vinylcarbazole and were completely dispersed at molecular level in PVK matrix and PVK-POSS nanocomposites display higher glass transition temperature（Tg） in comparison with neat PVK. Optical properties of PVK/POSS nanocomposites were investigated by UV-spectrum and PL-spectrum and the results show that the PVK-POSS nanoparticles have a good interface effect and improve color purity effectively. The maximum absorption wavelength bathochromically shifts gradually with the increasing of the content of POSS. The luminescent intensity becomes higher and higher with the increase of POSS content, and reaches its maximum luminescent intensity when the POSS content is 3% （mass fraction）, while some POSS-rich nanoparticles are present in matrix when contents of POSS are beyond 5%.     

Characterization of PBT/POSS nanocomposites prepared by in situ polymerization of cyclic poly(butylene terephthalate) initiated by functionalized POSS

Novel poly(butylene terephthalate) (PBT)/polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane (POSS) nanocomposites were synthesized by ring‐opening polymerization of cyclic poly(butylene terephthalate) initiated by functionalized POSS with various feed ratios. The impact of POSS incorporation on melting and crystallization behaviors of PBT/POSS nanocomposites was investigated by means of X‐ray diffraction and differential scanning calorimetry. It was found that the novel organic–inorganic association result in the significant alterations in the melting and crystallization behavior of PBT. Thermal studies confirmed that the incorporation of POSS can enhance the thermal stability of the polymers, and the copolymer glass transition temperature increased with the increasing of POSS macromonomer content. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 48: 1853–1859, 2010     

Thermo-oxidative degradation of novel epoxy containing silicon and phosphorous nanocomposites

Modified epoxy nanocomposites containing silicon and phosphorous was prepared and compared with pure epoxy. The study of thermo-oxidative degradation of modified epoxy nanocomposites and pure epoxy has been utilized by thermal analysis. The thermal stability of modified epoxy nanocomposites is not superior to that of the pure epoxy at low temperature, however, the char yield of modified epoxy nanocomposites is higher than that of the pure epoxy at 800 °C in air atmosphere. The modified epoxy nanocomposites possess better thermal stability at high temperature range. The values of the limiting oxygen index of pure epoxy and modified epoxy nanocomposites are 24 and 32, respectively. This indicates that modified epoxy nanocomposites possesses better flame retardance.By the Kissinger’s method, the activation energies of thermo-oxidative degradation for epoxy nanocomposites are less than those of thermo-oxidative degradation for pure epoxy in first stage of thermo-oxidative degradation. However, the activation energies of thermo-oxidative degradation for epoxy nanocomposites are more than those of thermo-oxidative degradation for pure epoxy in second stage of thermo-oxidative degradation.     

Preparation and Flame Retardancy of Polyurethane/POSS Nanocomposites

Polyurethane/polyhedral oligomeric sisesquioxane (PU/POSS) nanocomposites were syn-thesized via polymerization utilizing the compatibility between POSS nanoparticles and 4,4'-diphenyl methylene diisocyanate. Scanning electron microscope images and Fouriertransform infrared spectra revealed that POSS nanoparticles were dispersed in PU matrix.Thermal gravimetric analysis was employed to investigate the thermal decomposition be-havior of PU/POSS nanocomposites at elevated temperatures. Then fire performance wasevaluated by limiting oxygen index, underwriters laboratories 94 testing and char residue morphology. These results showed that the addition of POSS promoted the formation of char residues which were covered on the surface of polymer composites, leading to the im-provement of thermal stability and flame retardancy.     

A combination of POSS and polyphosphazene for reducing fire hazards of epoxy resin

Extensive application of epoxy resins (EPs) is highly limited by their intrinsic flammability. Combining EPs with nanoparticles and phosphorus‐nitrogen flame retardants is an effective approach to overcome the drawback. In this work, simultaneous incorporation of octa‐aminophenyl polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxanes (OapPOSS) and polyphosphazene into EP was reported for the first time. Significantly, reduced peak of heat release rate and UL‐94 V‐0 rating were achieved by tuning suitable ratios of polyphosphazene and OapPOSS for EP composites. During combustion, polyphosphazene promoted char formation and released nonflammable gases such as CO₂, NH₃, and N₂ to dilute oxygen concentration and cool pyrolysis zone. Moreover, numerous phosphorus‐containing species acting as free radical scavengers were generated during degradation. Silicon dioxide evolving from OapPOSS protected char residues from thermal degradation. This study provides a novel method to fabricate high‐performance flame‐retardant EP composites, which have potential applications in the field of electrics and electronics.     

官能团化POSS及多臂星形聚酯的合成与表征

利用八乙烯基多面体齐聚倍半硅氧烷(OVPOSS)与2-巯基乙醇、1-巯基甘油或半胱胺盐酸盐发生高效的"巯基-烯"点击化学反应,制备了表面分别含有8个或16个羟基以及8个氨基的3种POSS衍生物POSS-8OH、POSS-16OH和POSS-8NH2,采用核磁共振波谱(1H-, 13C-NMR)和傅里叶变换红外光谱(FTIR)详细表征了它们的化学结构.随后,利用POSS-8OH和POSS-16OH中的羟基分别引发ε-己内酯(ε-CL)和2-乙氧基-2-氧代-1,3,2-二氧磷杂环戊烷(EOP)进行开环聚合,成功合成了疏水性八臂和十六臂星形聚己内酯(POSS-8PCL和POSS-16PCL)以及亲水性八臂星形聚磷酸酯(POSS-8PEEP).利用FTIR、1H-NMR、13CNMR、凝胶渗透色谱(GPC)和热失重分析(TGA)表征了星形聚酯的化学结构、分子量和分子量分布以及热稳定性.     

接枝改性POSS对PLLA结晶行为的影响*

以二氯甲烷为溶剂,利用溶液共混法将三种聚笼形多面体倍半硅氧烷(POSS)分别与聚左旋乳酸(PLLA)进行共混,制备了不同POSS含量的单氨基POSS(POSS-NH₂)/PLLA、POSS接枝聚乙二醇(POSS-PEG)/PLLA和POSS接枝聚乳酸(POSS-g-PLLA)/PLLA复合材料。利用差示扫描量热仪(DSC)、热重分析仪(TGA)、偏光显微镜(POM) 分别对复合材料的本体结晶行为、热稳定性及结晶形貌和生长速率进行了观察。结果表明当加入不同质量分数(1 wt%, 5 wt%, 10 wt%)的POSS-PEG时,PLLA的结晶能力均得到改善,而POSS-NH2和POSS-g-PLLA仅在质量分数较低(1wt%)时对PLLA起成核剂的作用,具有较高质量分数时会阻碍PLLA分子链段的运动,从而限制其结晶。三种复合材料中仅POSS-PEG在一定程度上提高了PLLA的热稳定性,利用POM观察球晶生长过程发现POSS-PEG的加入提高了PLLA的球晶生长速率。     

Effect of Polyhedral Oligomeric Silsesquioxane and Sorbitol on Properties of Isotactic Polypropylene

Isotactic polypropylene(iPP) was modified by the introduction of polyhedral oligomeric silsesquio- xanes(POSS) and 1,3:2,4-bis(3,4-dimethylbenzylidene)sorbitol(DMDBS). Chemical combination of (3-mercapto)- propyl-heptaisobutyl POSS with DMDBS(POSS-DMDBS), and physical mixing of DMDBS with octaisobutyl POSS (iso-POSS/DMDBS) or trisilanolisobutyl POSS(tri-POSS/DMDBS) were applied respectively to modifying iPP, and the effects of POSS and DMDBS on crystallization, rheological and mechanical properties of iPP were systematically investigated. The results indicate that iso-POSS/DMDBS and tri-POSS/DMDBS were more effective than POSS-DMDBS on the improvement of the crystallization behavior of iPP due to the higher crystallization temperature, while the crystallinity of iPP containing POSS-DMDBS was enhanced, approximately approached to that of iPP containing tri-POSS/DMDBS. The tensile strength of iPP with POSS-DMDBS was significantly increased from 34 MPa to 40 MPa, as high as that of iPP with iso-POSS/DMDBS. The different effects caused by the specific interaction between POSS and DMDBS could possibly be applied in the modification of iPP.