Poly(phenylsilsesquioxane)s: Structural and morphological characterization

Poly(phenylsilsesquioxane) (PPSQ) polymers that were obtained from differen t synthetic routes were comparatively studied. The polymers were characteri zed by infrared and solid-state Si-29 NMR spectroscopies. According to the results of X-ray diffraction and thermogravimetric analyses, the materials richest in silanol showed a less organized network and lower weight loss te mperature. The morphology of the products was influenced by the preparation conditions. PPSQ, with a morphology rich in spherical particles, was achie ved with an n-hexadecyltrimethylammonium bromide template in the reaction m edium, whereas the morphology of this polymer obtained in the absence of th e template was featureless. Small-angle X-ray scattering analyses revealed that the PPSQ samples showed a predominance of surface-fractal behavior. (C ) 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.