Hydrophilic Poss Monomers And Copolymers

In general, most POSS (R) monomers are hydrophobic and show compatibility with traditional organic monomers and resins. With the recent commercialization of PEG-based organosilanes, it has become possible to synthetically prepare new water-soluble POSS cages that show interesting properties as water-soluble lubricants. The copolymerization of traditional hydrophobic POSS monomers with hydrophilic organic monomers has also resulted in profound advancements in degradation control and biological compatibility. The characteristics of these monomers and copolymers will be presented.