Systematically comparative studies on the preparation and physical properties of PMMA–silica mesocomposite and nanocomposite membranes

PMMA–silica mesocomposite (PSM) and nanocomposite (PSN) materials were successfully prepared and compared through incorporation of vinyl-modified mesopore silica (VMS) and silica particles, respectively, into polymer and further characterized by TEM and GPC. The as-prepared VMS with an open pore and wormhole structure were synthesized by sol–gel route with an optically active non-surfactant such as dibenzoyl-l-tartaric acid as template.In this study, we present the first evaluation for systematically comparative studies on the physical properties of both PSM and PSN composite membranes. The PSM was found to show effectively enhanced mechanical strength, thermal stability, thermal insulation, optical clarity, surface hydrophobic and surface roughness properties as compared to that of corresponding PSN based on the studies of DMA, DSC, TGA, Hot Disk, UV–visible transmission spectroscopy, contact-angle measurements and AFM. Moreover, PSM membrane show an increasing trend in gas permeability of O2 and N2 as the feeding content of mesopore silica increases.