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Cage octasilsesquioxane-pendant polynorbornenes connected with short spacers exhibiting optical transparency

Polymer Journal (2024)Cite this article

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Abstract

Heptaisobutyl-norbornenylethyl-substituted cage octasilsesquioxane (POSS) (1a) and heptaphenyl-norbornenylethyl-substituted POSS (1b) were subjected to ring-opening metathesis polymerizations (ROMP) at room temperature with the Grubbs 2nd generation catalyst. The metathesis polymerizations of 1a and 1b were performed at room temperature for 3 h with initial monomer molar concentrations of [1a, 1b] = 10 mM, and the number average molecular weights (Mn) of 2a and 2b were 82,000 g/mol and 87,000 g/mol, respectively. Dynamic light scattering (DLS) and static light scattering (SLS) measurements showed that the Rg/Rh value for 2a was 4.91, suggesting the formation of polydisperse rod-shaped particles. Chloroform solutions of 2a and 2b were cast onto glass substrates and dried at room temperature to obtain optically transparent free-standing films. X-ray diffraction (XRD) analyses of the casted films revealed their amorphous natures. Thermogravimetric analyses (TGA) of 2a and 2b under N2 atmospheres showed 5 wt% losses (Td5) at 416 °C and 451 °C, respectively. The POSS-pendant polynorbornenenes connected with short spacers exhibited showed high optical transparencies owing to the prevention of POSS crystallization and the excellent thermal stability.

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Acknowledgements

This work was supported by Grants-in-Aid for Scientific Research (No. 19H02764 and 23K17944) from the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science, and Technology, Government of Japan.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Faculty of Molecular Chemistry and Engineering, Graduate School of Science and Technology, Kyoto Institute of Technology, Goshokaido-cho, Matsugasaki, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto, 606-8585, Japan

    Yu Tomioka, Ryota Tanaka, Hiroaki Imoto & Kensuke Naka

  2. Department of Applied Chemistry, Graduate School of Engineering, University of Hyogo, 2167 Shosha, Himeji, Hyogo, 671-2280, Japan

    Thu Thao Pham & Shin-ichi Yusa

  3. FOREST, JST, Honcho 4-1-8, Kawaguchi, Saitama, 332-0012, Japan

    Hiroaki Imoto

  4. Materials Innovation Lab, Kyoto Institute of Technology, Goshokaido-cho, Matsugasaki, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto, 606-8585, Japan

    Kensuke Naka

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  1. Yu Tomioka
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Correspondence to Kensuke Naka.

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Tomioka, Y., Tanaka, R., Pham, T.T. et al. Cage octasilsesquioxane-pendant polynorbornenes connected with short spacers exhibiting optical transparency. Polym J (2024). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41428-024-00903-y

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