Synthesis of non-spherical bridged polysilsesquioxane particles with controllable morphology

Bridged polysilsesquioxanes (BPS) are promising organic-inorganic hybrid materials with tunable properties and versatile applications. However, the facile synthesis of non-spherical BPS particles still remains a challenge. Herein, non-spherical BPS particles were prepared through a one-step sol-gel method using 1, 2-bis (triethoxysilyl) ethane (BTSE) and vinyltrimethoxysilane (VTMS) as precursors. The catalysis of ammonia was essential in constructing non-spherical BPS particles. With the amount of ammonia increasing, the morphology of BPS particles could range from bowl-like to raspberry-like. Scanning electron microscope (SEM) was used to observe the morphologies and track the growth process of BPS particles. The result of Si-29 nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) implied that the inner and surface composition of BPS particles was different and silanol groups existed on the surface. Hence, we proposed a possible formation mechanism in accordance with these results and expected that this work would contribute to the synthesis of desired morphologies of BPS particles in various fields.

Automated summary

Non-spherical bridged polysilsesquioxane (BPS) particles were successfully synthesized using a one-step sol-gel method. The presence of ammonia was found to be crucial for constructing different morphologies of BPS particles. Morphological and compositional analysis indicated the existence of silanol groups on the particle surface. A possible formation mechanism was proposed based on these results.