Preparation of SiO2–GO hybrid nanoparticles and the thermal properties of methylphenylsilicone resins/SiO2–GO nanocomposites

• MPSR nanocomposites with SiO2–GO hybrid nanoparticles were prepared.
• Adding SiO2–GO improved the thermal stability of MPSR under inert atmospheres.
• The sandwich structure of SiO2–GO is the factor for enhanced thermal stability.
• The Tg of MPSR with 1 wt% SiO2–GO was increased by 10.4 °C.
• The short-term and long-term stability were greatly improved by adding SiO2–GO.

Silica–graphene oxide (SiO2–GO) hybrid nanoparticles have been prepared by the hydrolysis of tetraethoxysilane (TEOS) in the presence of GO sheets. The results indicated that silica nanoparticles were densely and uniformly grafted onto the GO surface by covalent linkage. The thermal stability of SiO2–GO has been improved greatly according to thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). Methylphenylsilicone resins (MPSR) with various proportions of SiO2–GO were synthesized by solution blending method. The incorporation of SiO2–GO was beneficial to improve the thermal stability and oxidation resistance of composites. The 5% weight loss temperature of the composites at 1 wt% SiO2–GO loading was detected 34.8 °C higher than that of pure MPSR. And the Tg of composites was increased by 10.4 °C. Additionally, the short-term and long-term stability of composites were improved greatly by adding SiO2–GO. These enhancements can be attributed to better dispersion of SiO2–GO in MPSR and improved interfacial adhesion between MPSR and SiO2–GO.