The effects of interactions on the properties of acrylic polymers/silica hybrid materials prepared by the in situ sol-gel process

Hybrid inorganic-organic materials based on trialkoxysilyl-functionalized, hydroxyl-functionalized and unfunctionalized methyl acrylic polymers have been prepared by the in situ sol-gel process in the presence of tetraethoxysilane. Especially, the trialkoxysilyl-functionalized PMMA/SiO2 hybrid has been successfully prepared without the use of the trialkoxysilyl-functionalized polymer as a precursor which is hydrolytically unstable in the air. The interactions between the silica networks and these polymers were observed, and their influences on phase behaviour of hybrids were also investigated using differential scanning calorimetry and scanning electron microscopy. It was found that the trialkoxysilyl-functionalized polymer is best suited for preparation of hybrid materials with improved properties. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science Ltd.