TY - JOUR
T1 - Strengthening silica aerogels with surface initiated ATRP cross-linked poly(methyl methacrylate)
AU - Boday, Dylan J.
AU - Loy, Douglas A.
N1 - Funding Information:
This project was supported by University of Arizona and Energy Materials Corporation . We would like to thank the W.M. Keck Center for Surface and Interface Imaging (KECK) at The University of Arizona for providing confocal fluorescence microscopy help. We are also grateful to University Spectroscopy and Imaging Facilities (USIF) for SEM imaging assistance.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2015 Elsevier B.V.
PY - 2015/8/3
Y1 - 2015/8/3
N2 - Abstract Silica aerogels were strengthened by surface initiated atom transfer radical polymerization (SI-ATRP) of methyl methacylate (MMA) and ethylene glycol dimethacrylate (EGDMA) from ATRP initiators grafted to the gel before supercritical drying. Tetramethoxysilane (TMOS) was copolymerized in methanol with 2.67 mol% of the ATRP initiator, 3-(triethoxysilyl)propyl-2-bromo-2-methylpropanoate, to afford gels. After replacing the methanol with toluene and adding copper catalyst, MMA and EGDMA (1:1), highly cross-linked poly(MMA-co-EGDMA) was grown from the surface of the aggregated particles making up the gel. After supercritical carbon dioxide drying, the result was highly porous poly(MMA-co-EGDMA)-silica aerogel composites that were significantly stronger than silica aerogels or poly(MMA)-silica aerogel composites of the same density.
AB - Abstract Silica aerogels were strengthened by surface initiated atom transfer radical polymerization (SI-ATRP) of methyl methacylate (MMA) and ethylene glycol dimethacrylate (EGDMA) from ATRP initiators grafted to the gel before supercritical drying. Tetramethoxysilane (TMOS) was copolymerized in methanol with 2.67 mol% of the ATRP initiator, 3-(triethoxysilyl)propyl-2-bromo-2-methylpropanoate, to afford gels. After replacing the methanol with toluene and adding copper catalyst, MMA and EGDMA (1:1), highly cross-linked poly(MMA-co-EGDMA) was grown from the surface of the aggregated particles making up the gel. After supercritical carbon dioxide drying, the result was highly porous poly(MMA-co-EGDMA)-silica aerogel composites that were significantly stronger than silica aerogels or poly(MMA)-silica aerogel composites of the same density.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84938332588&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=84938332588&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.jnoncrysol.2015.06.013
DO - 10.1016/j.jnoncrysol.2015.06.013
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:84938332588
VL - 427
SP - 114
EP - 119
JO - Journal of Non-Crystalline Solids
JF - Journal of Non-Crystalline Solids
SN - 0022-3093
M1 - 17469
ER -