Comparison of synthetic procedures for the preparation of sol-gel derived phenoxy-silica hybrid materials

Novel phenoxy-silica hybrid materials (with 3 wt.% SiO2) have been synthesized using different synthetic procedures. Differential scanning calorimetric (DSC) (Tg), FT-IR and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) results, as well as thermal and mechanical properties, are reported for these hybrids, which can be classified into three different groups, depending on the number of components synthesized in situ. Best results in terms of homogeneity (TEM) and mechanical properties have been obtained when the sol-gel process has been carried out in the presence of a phenoxy resin modified with a pendant alkoxysilane monomer.