Issue 23, 2017

Silica/methacrylate class II hybrid: telomerisation vs. RAFT polymerisation

Abstract

Inorganic–organic co-networks prepared by a sol–gel method are a promising class of materials due to their unique physical and biological properties, especially when covalent bonds are formed between the networks. The polymer structure and composition can have a drastic effect on the synthesis and properties. Here, we compared reversible addition fragmentation chain-transfer (RAFT) with telomerisation (TL), for the synthesis of the polymer, to investigate whether refining the polydispersity of polymethacrylate could lead to better and more tailorable properties. 3-(Methoxysilyl)propyl methacrylate was used as a model and successfully synthesised by RAFT and TL using 2-cyano-2-propyl benzodithioate and thioglycerol as chain transfer agents, respectively. The polydispersity of the polymer had a significant effect on the sol–gel process with an increase in gelation time as the polydispersity decreased. Direct correlation was made between the gelation time and Mz, suggesting that the gelation of hybrids followed the percolation model. However, regarding the properties, it is a tie. No statistical difference in silica release and mechanical properties of the resulting hybrids was observed, regardless of the polydispersity of the polymer.

Graphical abstract: Silica/methacrylate class II hybrid: telomerisation vs. RAFT polymerisation

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
28 Mar 2017
Accepted
07 May 2017
First published
11 May 2017

Polym. Chem., 2017,8, 3603-3611

Silica/methacrylate class II hybrid: telomerisation vs. RAFT polymerisation

A. L. B. Maçon, T. Kasuga, C. Remzi Becer and J. R. Jones, Polym. Chem., 2017, 8, 3603 DOI: 10.1039/C7PY00516D

To request permission to reproduce material from this article, please go to the Copyright Clearance Center request page.

If you are an author contributing to an RSC publication, you do not need to request permission provided correct acknowledgement is given.

If you are the author of this article, you do not need to request permission to reproduce figures and diagrams provided correct acknowledgement is given. If you want to reproduce the whole article in a third-party publication (excluding your thesis/dissertation for which permission is not required) please go to the Copyright Clearance Center request page.

Read more about how to correctly acknowledge RSC content.

Social activity

Spotlight

Advertisements