Transformation of Sulfur to Organic-Inorganic Hybrids Employed by POSS Networks and Their Application for the Modulation of Refractive Indices

In this manuscript, we present the hybrid materials with sulfur as an inorganic element. Initially, the network polymers with the polysulfide-bridged polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane were synthesized and mixed with polystyrene and poly(methyl methacrylate). The resulting polymer blends showed higher thermal degradation temperatures than that of the polymer matrix similarly as typical hybrids. Next, it was found that the sulfur-bridging networks can increase refractive indices of the polymer matrices. Moreover, it was revealed that the loss of Abbe numbers was hardly observed by blending to conventional polymers. (C) 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.