A Novel Polystyrene Nanocomposite with Fully Phenyl POSSs Functionalized

Abstract Two novel polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxanes/polystyrene (POSS/PS) nanocomposites are synthesized by in situ polymerization of styrene, in the presence of 5% w/w of POSS in which two identical silicon cages Ar7(SiO1.5)8 (with Ar═Phenyl) are linked to different rigid molecular bridges. The obtained nanocomposites are characterized by 1H-NMR spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis, and by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The resistance to the thermal degradation is evaluated by measuring the temperature at 5% mass loss (T5%), whose values for the prepared nanocomposites are largely higher than those found for PS, in the same experimental conditions. SEM analysis showed a good dispersion of the molecular filler within the matrix, thus providing a justification for the increasing in PS/POSSs thermal stability.