1. Institute of Materials Science and Technology (INTEMA), University of Mar del Plata and National Research Council (CONICET), J. B. Justo 4302, 7600 Mar del Plata, Argentina;2. Institute of Macromolecular Chemistry, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Heyrovsky Sq. 2, 162 06 Prague 6, Czech Republic
Abstract:
Microspheres of a nanostructured bridged silsesquioxane were synthesized by employing ultrasound‐assisted self‐assembly of a bridged monomer via sol–gel processing. The bridged precursor was synthesized from glycidoxypropyl(trimethoxysilane) (GPMS) (2 mol) and cyclohexylamine (1 mol). The main factor controlling the generation of a stable dispersion of microspheres was the time at which the phase separation of the silsesquioxane was produced during the hydrolytic condensation. An appropriate blend of THF/n‐hexane as a solvent enabled to rapidly generate a stable dispersion exhibiting a low polydispersity. The mild reaction conditions produced the nanostructuring of the silsesquioxane characterized by a fine structure in SAXS spectrum. Inorganic domains were arranged in a two‐dimensional hexagonal system leading to the formation of cavities in the microspheres which could be employed as host–guest systems in advanced technologies.
