Effects of the interaction between siloxane hydrolysate and PANI on the properties of PANI/SiO2 hybrid materials

PANI/SiO2 Hybrids were synthesized via a sol-gel process using tetramethoxysilane (TMOS), -glycidoxypropyltrimethoxysilane (GPTMS), and 3-(trimethoxysily1)propyl methacrylate (MSMA) as precursors, respectively. The effect of the interaction between siloxane hydrolysate and PANI on the microstructure and properties of the PANI/SiO2 Hybrid Materials was studied using scanning electron microscopy, Fourier-transform infrared, UV-vis, H-1 NMR, thermo gravimetric analysis, and potentiodynamic polarization analysis. Experiment results demonstrated that, an appropriate interaction between siloxane hydrolysate and PANI is useful to achieve a homogeneous and stable hybrid. The weak interaction between silanols and PANI will cause the phase separation between siloxane hydrolysate and PANI, whereas the strong interaction may lead to the formation of bulk materials and precipitation. In comparison with TMOS and MSMA, more hydrogen bonds are formed in the PANI/SiO2 hybrid materials using GPTMS as precursor, which make it have a homogeneous and smooth surface without detectable cracks and present excellent corrosion protection properties. POLYM. COMPOS., 38:657-662, 2017. (c) 2015 Society of Plastics Engineers