Nanostructures and properties of hybrid films based on DGEBA and modified with APES/PGE polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxanes

An organotrialkoxysilane containing secondary hydroxyl groups were synthesized by a reaction of 1 mol of (3-aminopropyl)triethoxysilane (APES) and 2 mol of phenylglycidylether (PGE). Resulting products (APES–PGE, AP) was hydrolyzed and condensed to produce polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxanes (POSS) by sol–gel process. The POSS nanostructure was predicted and assigned by matrix-assisted ultraviolet laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UV–MALDI–TOF MS) and a general formula. A hybrid film based on diglycidylether of bisphenol A (DGEBA) and modified with different amounts wt.% POSS was fabricated to study a relationship between the structure and properties and an influence of the different POSS contents in the films on properties. As the results, the film containing adequate amount of POSS (20 wt.%) showed the highest glass transition temperature (107 °C), best corrosion resistance and relatively largest hardness (0.86 GPa) and elastic modulus (11.77 GPa).