Fabrication and Properties of Hybrid Thin Film with Epoxy Resin and Methyltrimethoxy Silane-modified ZrO₂

Abstract

The ZrO₂-sol was prepared with zirconium acetate and water below 60°C followed by the modification with 0, 0.5 and 5 mol of methyltrimethoxysilane(MTMS) via sol-gel method. The epoxy system was consisted of 1,1,1-(triglycidyl-oxyphenyl) methane, (3-4-epoxycyclohexane) methyl-3-4-epoxycyclohexyl carboxylate, methyl-2,3-norbornanedicarboxylic anhybride, ethyl triphenyl phosphonium iodide and N,N-dimethylacetamide (DMAc). The epoxy system and MTMS-modified ZrO₂-sols were mixed to be solid contents of 90 : 10 weight percentages. ZrO₂ particles synthesized from sol-gel method were amorphous phase in XRD patterns. FE-SEM images showed MTMS-modified ZrO₂ particles were dispersed with excellent homogeneity in hybrid system. The FT-IR spectra of MTMS-modified ZrO₂ particle identified the methyl and silica groups formed from MTMS on the surface of ZrO₂ particle. It is considered that epoxy-ZrO₂ hybrid materials have the potential to be used as the hybrid thin film due to their high refractive index and excellent hybridization stability.

Keywords:

• Sol-gel
• Refractive index
• ZrO₂
• Epoxy
• Nano hybrid

Acknowledgments

This work was supported by a 2-Year Research Grant of Pusan National University.