Nanostructured bridged silsesquioxanes via sol-gel synthesis

HERNÁN E. ROMEO; ROBERTO J. J. WILLIAMS; LIBOR MATEJKA; JOSEF PLESTIL; JIRÍ BRUS; MARÍA A. FANOVICH

Anales de la Academia Nacional de Ciencias Exactas, Físicas y Naturales de Buenos Aires

Academia Nacional de Ciencias Exactas, Físicas y Naturales

Lugar: Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires; Año: 2008 vol. 60 p. 93 - 99

0365-1185

Two types of hybrid materials with different degree of nanoestructuring (a bridged silsesquioxane (BS) and hybrid microspheres (MS)) were obtained from a bridged precursor (P) synthesized by the reaction of glycidoxypropyl(trimethoxysilane) with cyclohexylamine. The polycondensation of P in presence of formic acid produced a hybrid material (BS) exhibiting a short-range order based on elongated organic channels, accommodating the cyclohexyl fragments pending from the organic bridge, bounded by inorganic domains. Also, nanostructured hybrid microspheres (MS) were synthesized from P by employing ultrasound-assisted sol-gel processing. The mild reaction conditions produced the nanostructuring of the silsesquioxane characterized by a fine structure in SAXS spectrum. Inorganic domains were arranged in a two-dimensional hexagonal system leading to the formation of cavities in the microspheres which could be employed as host-guest systems in advanced technologies.