Premium
Organic‐acid‐catalyzed sol–gel route for preparing poly(methyl methacrylate)–silica hybrid materials
Author(s) -
Yeh JuiMing,
Huang KuanYeh,
Dai ChungFeng,
Chand B. G.,
Weng ChangJian
Publication year - 2008
Publication title -
journal of applied polymer science
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.575
H-Index - 166
eISSN - 1097-4628
pISSN - 0021-8995
DOI - 10.1002/app.28778
Subject(s) - tetraethyl orthosilicate , materials science , thermogravimetric analysis , nanocomposite , chemical engineering , thermal stability , sol gel , poly(methyl methacrylate) , methyl methacrylate , hybrid material , differential scanning calorimetry , fourier transform infrared spectroscopy , polymer chemistry , composite material , polymer , copolymer , nanotechnology , physics , engineering , thermodynamics
In this study, a series of organic–inorganic hybrid sol–gel materials consisting of a poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) matrix and dispersed silica (SiO 2 ) particles were successfully prepared through an organic‐acid‐catalyzed sol–gel route with N ‐methyl‐2‐pyrrolidone as the mixing solvent. The as‐synthesized PMMA–SiO 2 nanocomposites were subsequently characterized with Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and transmission electron microscopy. The solid phase of organic camphor sulfonic acid was employed to catalyze the hydrolysis and condensation (i.e., sol–gel reactions) of tetraethyl orthosilicate in the PMMA matrix. The formation of the hybrid membranes was beneficial for the physical properties at low SiO 2 loadings, especially for enhanced mechanical strength and gas barrier properties, in comparison with the neat PMMA. The effects of material composition on the thermal stability, thermal conductivity, mechanical strength, molecular permeability, optical clarity, and surface morphology of the as‐prepared hybrid PMMA–SiO 2 nanocomposites in the form of membranes were investigated with thermogravimetric analysis, differential scanning calorimetry, dynamic mechanical analysis, gas permeability analysis, ultraviolet–visible transmission spectroscopy, and atomic force microscopy, respectively. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2008