ABSTRACT
Saponite (SA)-mercaptopropyl polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane (POSS-SH) grafted poly (L-lactic acid) (SA-POSS-PLLA) was synthesized by thiol-ene click chemistry. SA-POSS-PLLA was characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. When 0.3 wt% SA-POSS-PLLA was used as a modifier in poly (lactic acid) (PLA), the impact strength and elongation at break of PLA/SA-POSS-PLLA nanocomposites were increased by 1.73 times and 4.25 times compared with pure PLA, respectively. The differential scanning calorimeter analysis showed that the crystallinity of PLA/SA-POSS-PLLA nanocomposites was increased from 7.74% to 30.32%. The addition of SA-POSS-PLLA increased the crystallization rate of PLA and significantly reduced the grain size of PLA, which also was proved by polarization optical microscopy analysis. Rheonaut technology for simultaneous rheometry and FTIR demonstrated that the reason why the addition of SA-POSS-PLLA nanoparticles accelerated the crystallization rate of PLA was that SA-POSS-PLLA nanoparticles promoted the adjustment of C-O-C structure and -CH3 group in the main molecular chain of PLA.
GRAPHICAL ABSTRACT
![](/cms/asset/6ea4b05b-c336-4d2f-b85d-a6b2742ac324/lpte_a_1948059_uf0001_oc.jpg)
Acknowledgments
Financial support from the University Research Program of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region of China (XJEDU2018I003) is greatly acknowledged.
Disclosure statement
No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).
Data availability statement
The raw/processed data required to reproduce these findings cannot be shared at this time as the data also forms part of an ongoing study.
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Notes on contributors
Hao Li
Hao Li: Key Laboratory of Oil and Gas Fine Chemicals, Ministry of Education and Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, postgraduate student of School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Xinjiang University.
Yikelamu Jilili
Yikelamu Jilili: Key Laboratory of Oil and Gas Fine Chemicals, Ministry of Education and Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, postgraduate student of School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Xinjiang University.
Weijun Zhen
Weijun Zhen: Key Laboratory of Oil and Gas Fine Chemicals, Ministry of Education and Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, professor of School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Xinjiang University.
Ling Zhao
Ling Zhao: Key Laboratory of Oil and Gas Fine Chemicals, Ministry of Education and Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, professor of School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Xinjiang University.