ABSTRACT

It was well known that the intimate mixing of polymers with inorganic nanoparticles on a nanometer scale can lead to composite materials with superior mechanical properties and improved fire retardancy. Among these inorganic building blocks, inorganic oxide silica (SiO2) is the most popular candidate for its low price and substantial application in the industry. Basically, the synthesis, characterization, properties, and applications of SiO2-based organic-inorganic nanocomposite colloids have became one of the most popular topics during the last decades. Principally, colloidal polymer-SiO2 nanocomposite colloids can be divided into systems with a polymer core and a SiO2 shell or vice versa [3]. Morphologies of such polymer-SiO2 nanocomposites, including raspberry-like, core-shell, currant-bun-like, hedgehog and dumbbell-like, etc., as illustrated in Fig. 16.1, have been prepared by adjusting the surface chemistry and the fabrication methods. Consequently, the polymer component can be introduced as precursors, including organic monomers or oligomers. As for the SiO2 phase, it could be introduced into the composites by two methods: preformed SiO2 nanoparticles or precursors (e.g., tetraethyl orthosilicate [TEOS]). However, since most of the polymer phases are hydrophobic and the SiO2nanoparticles or networks are highly hydrophilic, the surfactant or stabilizer seems to be indispensable for the fabrication of the SiO2based organic-inorganic nanocomposite colloids.