Publications Details
Bridged polysilsesquioxanes: A novel class of hybrid organic-inorganic materials
Aryl-, ethynyl- and alkyl-bridged polysilsesquioxanes were prepared by the hydrolysis and condensation of the respective bridged triethoxysilanes under both acidic and basic conditions. Gelation of the resulting sols can take place at concentrations as low as 0.02 M in tetrahydrofuran. The gels can be air dried to afford xerogels or extracted with supercritical carbon dioxide to give high surface area aerogels. The materials were characterized by solid state {sup 13}C and {sup 29}Si CP MAS NMR spectroscopies, gas sorption porosimetry, and thermal gravimetric analysis. The bridged polysilsesquioxanes offer the opportunity to prepare hybrid organic-inorganic materials with properties unique from other siloxane network materials and silica gels.