A diverse and entirely new class of monomer and polymer technology bas
ed on polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane (POSS) reagents has been de
veloped. POSS reagents are uniquee in that they are physically large (
approx. 15 Angstrom diameter and 1000 amu) and are composed of a robus
t silicon-oxygen framework that can be easily functionalized with a va
riety of organic substituents, Appropriate functionalization of POSS c
ages allows for their incorporation into traditional thermoplastic res
ins without modification of existing manufacturing processes. The inco
rporation of POSS segments into linear copolymer systems results in in
creased glass transition and decomposition temperatures, increased oxy
gen permeability and reduced flammability and heat evolution, as well
as modified mechanical properties relative to conventional organic sys
tems. (C) 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.