Advanced Materials, Vol.6, No.5, 372-374, 1994
PHOTOCHEMICAL-SYNTHESIS OF POLYACRYLATE-SILICA HYBRID SOL-GEL MATERIALS CATALYZED BY PHOTOACIDS
Photochemical synthesis of hybrid sol-gel materials is demonstrated for the first time. Photoacid-catalyzed sol-gel reactions of tetraethyl orthosilicate with polymer precursors under ultraviolet radiation produce polyacrylate-silica materials (shown schematically in the Figure). The effect of the concentrations of the photoacids and polymer precursors and the intensity of the radiation is discussed.