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U.S. Department of Energy
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Synthesis and characterization of bridged polysilsesquioxane-polydimethylisiloxane nanocomposites

Conference ·
OSTI ID:535333
; ;  [1]
  1. Sandia National Labs., Albuquerque, NM (United States); and others

In order to further probe short chain and linkage effects in bimodal polymer networks, a new class of nanocomposites based on hydroxy terminated polydimethylsiloxanes as the long chain segments and alkylene or arylene bridged silsesquioxanes as the short chain segments was prepared. The materials were generated by tin-catalyzed coupling of the terminal hydroxy groups of the PDMS segments with bis(triethoxysilyl)arylene and alkylene monomers. The advantage of using the bridged silsesquioxane monomers is that the crosslinking sites are covalently attached to the short chain segments. This permits the final nanocomposite materials to be readily prepared by condensation of these short segments with the long PDMS segments. A number of different hydrocarbon bridged monomers can be used to determine the effect that the of short segment flexibility and length and the degree of crosslinking has on the final material properties.

OSTI ID:
535333
Report Number(s):
CONF-951022--
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English