Waterborne POSS-silane-urethane hybrid polymer and the fluorinated films

- A co-endcapping strategy is designed to monofunctional POSS modified waterborne PU.
- A feasible method is proposed to fluoro-POSS-PU ternary hybrid films.
- Physical X-links of POSS is found upon the chemical X-linking of alkyloxysilanes.
- Notable performance improvement is achieved by the synergistic modification.
- The synthesis and the application is toward the eco-friendly waterborne systems.

A feasible co-endcapping strategy has been developed for the synthesis of monofunctional polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxanes (POSS) modified waterborne polyurethane (WPU). The work starts from the synthesis of di-isocyanate terminated PU prepolymer from isophorone di-isocyanate (IPDI), poly (1,4-butylene adipate) end-capped diol (PBAD), and 2,2-bis(hydroxymethyl) butyric acid (DMBA). The two kinds of modifiers of monofunctional aminopropyl isobutyl POSS (AIPOSS) and with (3-aminopropyl) triethoxysilane (APTES) were used together to block the PU chains. The hybrid dispersions of curable silane-co-modified WPU with 2-8 wt% of AIRPOSS could form continuous and homogenous films under ambient conditions. The morphology and structure of the dispersed particles and the films were characterized, as well as the mechanical property and surface performance. The results indicate that the incorporation of POSS moieties into the silane-modified PU can significantly improve the mechanical property of the films and the formation of additional physical crosslinking points upon the chemical crosslinking networks. Moreover, both the surface hydrophobicity and the dielectric performance have been promoted by the incorporation of POSS. Furthermore, fluorinated groups were introduced on the films by the treatment of the fluorosilane coupling agent. The fluoro-POSS-PU hybrid films exhibit notable surface hydrophobicity as well as low dielectric constant and loss.

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