Abstract
The inorganic/organic hybrids prepared using glycidoxypropyltrimethoxysilane have not only inorganic networks of siloxanes and metaloxanes but also organic networks formed from reactions of epoxy groups. The authors investigated the formation behavior of the hybrid networks and their thermal decomposition in the hybrids prepared using metal alkoxides and glycidoxypropyltrimethoxysilane. Reactions of alkoxy groups and epoxy groups of GPTMS in the presence of metal alkoxides were investigated by FT-Raman and NMR spectroscopy. Metal alkoxides such as Al(O-sec-C4H9)3, Zr(O-n-C4H9)4 and Ti(O-iso-C3H7)4 promoted the reactions of both alkoxy groups and epoxy groups of GPTMS. The promotion mechanism of metal alkoxides was proposed. The thermal decomposition behavior of inorganic/organic hybrids was also investigated by TG-DTA, FT-IR and NMR spectroscopy. Organic groups of the inorganic/organic hybrids prepared from GPTMS and metal alkoxides thermally decomposed at higher temperatures than that prepared from only GPTMS.Research supported by NEDO, under the Synergy Ceramics Project promoted by METI, Japan.
