Facile preparation of a polysilsesquioxane sheet with a three-dimensional structure

Abstract

A polysilsesquioxane (PSQ) sheet with novel three-dimensional (3-D) networks was prepared by a one-pot reaction of an organic silane terminated with a hexadecyl functionality at room temperature. The effects of experimental parameters on the morphology of PSQ were systematically investigated. It was found that the interconnected structure of the material was mainly dominated by the alkyl long chain in the silane. The mechanism behind the formation of this unique structure was proposed: the hydrolyzed silane collided with each other at first, then the hydrolyzate condensed to form aggregates, and finally the network structure was assembled under intermolecular driving forces among these aggregates with the balanced hydrogen bond interaction and hydrophobic effect of the alkyl chain in silane. The excellent hydrophobic properties of 3-D PSQ have made it a potential candidate for the treatment of oil spills, with a maximum adsorption capacity for crude oil of 6.8 ± 0.2 g g⁻¹.