UV curable EA-Si hybrid coatings prepared by combination of radical and cationic photopolymerization

• UV curable EA-Si hybrid coatings were prepared by a simple approach combining of radical and cationic photopolymerization.
• Cross-linked network structure of SiOSi formed in the hybrid coatings.
• The thermal stability and transparency of EA-Si hybrid coatings were enhanced.

A series of UV curable EA-Si hybrid coatings were prepared by a simple approach combining radical and cationic photopolymerization, with epoxy acrylate (EA) as monomer, γ-glycidoxypropyltrimethoxysilane (GPTMS) as inorganic precursor, benzophenone (BP) as free radical photo initiator and a diaryliodonium salt DPIHFP as cationic photo initiator. The chemical structures of EA-Si hybrid coatings were characterized by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), Raman spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction (XRD). The thermal and optical properties of hybrid coatings were investigated by thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA) and UV–vis transmission spectroscopy, respectively. The results indicated that cross-linked network structure of SiOSi formed in the hybrid coatings, which led to the decrease in crystallinity and of EA-Si hybrid coating. The final conversion of CC bonds was also decreased because of the addition of GPTMS. The thermal stability of EA-Si hybrid coatings was enhanced in the second decomposition stage (300–400 °C) because of the existence of organic–inorganic cross-linked network structures. The transparency of coatings at around 346 nm tended to increase with increasing concentration of inorganic precursor GPTMS.

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