The influence of organic substituents of polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane on the properties of epoxy-based hybrid nanomaterials

Organic-inorganic hybrid materials were synthesized by the reaction between a classical epoxy resin (Diglycidylether of bisphenol A-DGEBA) and some polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane (POSS) compounds which include different organic radicals. The effect of POSS type and concentration on the properties of hybrids was studied using different methods like Raman Spectroscopy, Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC), Dynamic Mechanical Analysis (DMA) and Thermogravimetrical Analysis (TGA). The presence of POSS substituted with eight epoxy-based substituents leads to an increase of DGEBA reactivity in the first stage of the reaction. The DMA results showed that the glass transition temperature of hybrid materials with POSS decreases even at high POSS concentration and regardless of POSS type because the systems do not reach a 100% conversion. (C) 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.