A fast convenient method to prepare hybrid sol-gel materials with low volume-shrinkages

We present a simple and fast method for the synthesis of polyacrylates-silica hybrid materials with significantly low volume shrinkages through the sol-gel reactions of tetraethyl orthosilicate and 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate along with the free-radical polymerization of the acrylate monomer. The volume shrinkage from the processible sol to the final product was about 6-20% for the hybrid materials having the silica contents up to about 50 wt-%. As a result of the low shrinkage, crack-free, transparent and monolithic hybrid materials of relatively large sizes can be prepared within a short period of 6 to 12 hours. The formation of covalent bonding between the organic and the silica components in the hybrid materials was demonstrated. Thermal stability of the polyacrylate component in the hybrid materials were found to be higher than that of the bulk polymer. Other vinyl polymers such as poly(methyl methacrylate) and polyacrylonitrile have also been incorporated into the inorganic silica sol-gel matrix by using this method.