Tailored high performance shape memory epoxy–silica nanocomposites. Structure design

Abstract

The shape memory (SM) properties of polymers depend on material toughness and the efficiency of SM performance is governed by morphology and viscoelasticity.

Recent Applications of Ionic Liquids in the Sol-Gel Process for Polymer–Silica Nanocomposites with Ionic Interfaces

“…These materials constitute a new family of thermally-resistant structurally-ordered solids that can be exploited in areas like electrochemistry [21,91,92], catalysis [93,94], biocatalysis, optics, sensors [85], electrorheological fluids [95][96][97] and nanocomposites preparation [4,[6][7][8][9]11]. …”

“…Matějka et al prepared a high performance SMP based on the epoxy-silica nanocomposites where the silica nanofiller was generated in situ within the epoxy matrix by the non-aqueous sol-gel process [9]. The shape memory properties, such as recovery stress, shape fixity and completeness of …”

“…Thus, shape-memory effect can be found in systems consisting of ionic interphases, such as, ionic polymers or PILs bearing host-guest interactions with small molecules [139] or with another polymer matrix [140], PIL-metal nanocomposites [141] and IL/PIL containing polymer-silica nanocomposites [9,142].…”

“…Matějka et al prepared a high performance SMP based on the epoxy-silica nanocomposites where the silica nanofiller was generated in situ within the epoxy matrix by the non-aqueous sol-gel process [9]. The shape memory properties, such as recovery stress, shape fixity and completeness of shape recovery, as well as the efficiency of the SMP to store the elastic energy, were improved by applying a very small amount (0.2 wt %) of IL, namely [C 4 , into the epoxy-silica hybrid synthesis.…”

“…It has been shown that both, the ex situ application of pre-formed sol-gel silica-IL hybrids in melted thermoplastics [6] and in situ formation in thermosets [4,[7][8][9][10] or water soluble polymers [11] improve significantly thermo-mechanical properties of polymer matrices. In those systems ILs act There are two main IL classes that differ by the synthesis type, which involve the proton transference (protic ILs) or an alquilation process (aprotic ILs).…”