Hybrid organic-inorganic interphase

Perfectly transparent hybrid films were obtained by UV/sol-gel dual cure starting from a fiuorinated hydroxyl acrylate monomer, tripropylene glycol diacrylate (TPGDA) and tetraethoxysilane (TEOS) [276]. The hybrids were characterized by an almost complete double bonds conversion, high hydrophobicity and increased surface hardness, Tg values, and tensile modulus. Increased TEOS amounts entailed extensive interfacial interactions through a chemically formed organic-inorganic interphase. 

M. I. Sarwar and Z. Ahmad, Interphase bonding in organic/inorganic hybrid materials using amino pbenyl trimetboxy sdane , European Polymer Journal 2000, 36, 89. 

The basic idea behind the development of inorganic-organic hybrid materials is similar If the dimensions of the one or both phases making up the composite material are reduced in size down to the nanometer scale or even the molecular level, a synergetic combination of the properties typical of each of the constituents is still expected. It is rather obvious, however, that the materials properties of such nanocomposites will be different from that of classical composites, since many properties correlate with the phase dimension. Since molecular building blocks are now used for the construction of the material instead of macroscopic pieces of matter, the interface (or interphase) between the constituents will clearly play a different role. 

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