Preparation and characterization of hyperbranched polymer/silica hybrid nanocoatings by dual-curing process

Organic-inorganic nanocomposite hybrid coatings were prepared through a dual-cure process involving cationic photopolymerization of a hyperbranched epoxy functionalized resin and subsequent condensation of an alkoxysilane inorganic precursor. All the formulations investigated gave rise to photocured films characterized by high gel content values. An increase in glass transition temperature and an increase in storage modulus above T_g in the rubbery plateau is observed with increasing TEOS content in the photocurable formulation. The important role of GPTS on reducing the inorganic domain size and avoiding macroscopic phase separation was demonstrated by TEM analyses.