Insertion of triethyleneglycol dimethacrylate inside mesoporous silica for composites elaboration

The capacity of mesoporous silica to be used as filler in nanocomposite polymer–silica has been studied. One constituent of dental resin, triethyleneglycol dimethacrylate (TEGDMA), has been considered and its polymerization has been performed using a light curing process and camphorquinone as initiator. The filling of the silica mesoporosity has been followed using X-ray diffraction, nitrogen adsorption/desorption isotherms, differential scanning and thermo-mechanical analyses, helium density measurements and SEM analysis. These characterizations show that more than 90% of the porous volume is filled with the polymer, when the silica weight% stays below 50%.

Graphical abstractFigure optionsDownload full-size imageDownload as PowerPoint slideHighlights► Filling process of mesoporous silica with triethyleneglycol dimethacrylate. ► Density measurement coherent with complete filling. ► Polymer inside porosity does not contribute to thermal expansion.