[Back]

F.R. Kogler, U. Schubert:
"Crosslinking vs. filler effect of carboxylate-substituted zirconium oxo clusters on the thermal stability of polystyrene";
Polymer, 48 (2007), 17; 4990 - 4995.

Inorganic-organic hybrid materials were prepared by step-wise free radical polymerization of styrene in the presence of zirconium oxo clusters of the general compositions Zr₆O₄(OH)₄(carboxylate)12 (carboxylate = 5-norbornene-2-carboxylate or isobutyrate/methacrylate) and Zr₁₂O₈(OH)₈(carboxylate)₂₄ (carboxylate = acetate/propionate, vinylacetate, or acetate/methacrylate). Clusters with non-polymerizable ligands resulted in cluster/polystyrene blends which were soluble in toluene, whereas clusters with polymerizable ligands gave cluster-crosslinked, swellable polymers for which solvent uptake correlated with the functionality of the corresponding cluster. The onset temperatures of thermal decomposition and the glass transition temperatures of all cluster-containing polymers were higher than that of neat polystyrene, independent of whether the clusters were crosslinking or blended into the polymer.

Metal oxide clusters; Hybrid polymer; Thermal properties

http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.polymer.2007.06.029