Preparation and characterization of Octa(aminophenyl)silsesquioxane–aldehyde organic/inorganic hybrid aerogel

• A novel POSS-based organic–inorganic hybrid aerogel were synthesized.
• The aerogels possessed a fine microstructure with a high specific surface area of 855 m2 g−1.
• The aerogels possess good mechanical stability and the compression moduli is 52 kPa.

A novel POSS-based organic–inorganic hybrid aerogel were synthesized through Schiff base chemistry using Octa(aminophenyl)silsesquioxane and aldehyde as raw materials. The chemical structures were characterized by fourier transform infrared (FTIR), solid-state 13C and 29Si nuclear magnetic resonance. The results showed that the POSS building blocks are successfully weaved in the network without any alteration of the POSS structural characteristics. The morphology and surface properties of the resultant aerogels were investigated by field-emission scanning electron microscope (FESEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and the Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET) method. The results showed that the aerogels possessed a fine microstructure with a high specific surface area of 855 m2 g−1.

A novel POSS-based organic–inorganic hybrid aerogel were synthesized through Schiff base chemistry using Octa(aminophenyl)silsesquioxane and aldehyde as raw materials. The chemical structures were characterized by fourier transform infrared (FTIR), solid-state 13C and 29Si nuclear magnetic resonance. The results showed that the POSS building blocks are successfully weaved in the network without any alteration of the POSS structural characteristics. The morphology and surface properties of the resultant aerogels were investigated by field-emission scanning electron microscope (FESEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and the Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET) method. The results showed that the aerogels possessed a fine microstructure with a high specific surface area of 855 m2 g−1.To the best of our knowledge, organic–inorganic hybrid aerogel in this structure has not been reported yet.Fig. 1. Nitrogen-sorption isotherm and the corresponding pore-size-distribution curve of the aerogel.Figure optionsDownload as PowerPoint slide