Reactions of titanium alkoxide with SiH containing polymers as a route to titanium/siloxane hybrid materials with enhanced refractive index

Reactions of titanium tetrabutoxide with polyhydromethylsiloxane (PHMS) and with some hydromethylsiloxane copolymers were used for synthesis of light transparent materials having enhanced refractive index. The FTIR, ¹H NMR and ²⁹Si NMR spectroscopies were used to study the reaction between PHMS and titanium tetrabutoxide in toluene. Reaction of SiH functional siloxane polymers with titanium tetrabutoxide results in a titanium-containing heterosiloxane prepolymers that are stable under anhydrous anaerobic conditions. Exposure of the resulting materials to humid air transforms them into light transparent titanium/siloxane nanocomposites with enhanced refractive index. The films of these composites formed during the spin-coating process were characterized by UV–Vis, ellipsometry, IR and ²⁹Si NMR spectroscopies and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Titanium/siloxane hybrid films obtained on the basis of poly(phenylmethylsiloxane-co-hydromethylsiloxane) copolymer are free of cracks and have a refractive index of up to 1.60.