Using a polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxanesurfactant and click chemistry to exfoliate montmorillonite

Abstract

In this study, we prepared exfoliated montmorillonite (MMT) through Huisgen [2 + 3] cycloadditions (click reactions) of a propargyl-containing intercalator with singly or multiply azido-functionalized polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane nanoparticles. Wide-angle X-ray diffraction, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy, and thermogravimetric analyses revealed the structures and properties of the products, which have the potential to be used directly through simple polymer blending or copolymerization to improve the physical properties of polymer-based clay nanocomposites.