In situ preparation of thermoset/clay nanocomposites via thiol-epoxy click chemistry

A series of thermoset/clay nanocomposites are prepared by thiol-epoxy click reaction using commercially available starting compounds at ambient conditions in very good yields. The incorporation and exfoliation of clay nanolayers in the thermoset matrix are confirmed by FT-IR, XRD and TEM analyses. The influence of clay loadings on the thermal and mechanical analyses is investigated and all nanocomposites exhibit improved properties than that of the pristine thermoset. The nanocomposite containing 1% montmorillonite by weight has the most improved mechanical properties due to its highly exfoliated structure resulting in efficient interactions between clay and polymer matrix. A further increase of the clay loading results in the aggregation of clay plates to form intercalated structures leading to deteriorated thermal and mechanical properties of nanocomposites.