Application of Hydrazine Hydrate in the Synthesis of Octa(aminophenyl)silsesquioxane (OAPS) Poss

Octa(aminophenyl)silsesquioxane (OAPS) was prepared from octaphenyl silsesquioxane (OPS) in two steps, first nitration to obtain Octa(nitrophenyl)silsesquioxane (ONPS) then reduction by using the stable, inexpensive, and readily available hydrazine hydrate as the reducing agent in the presence of Iron(III)Chloride catalyst with a yield of around 87%. Hydrazine is a two-electron reducing agent whereas nitro group is a four-electron reduction process. The activated carbon serves as an adsorbent and electrical conductor enabling the reaction to occur by acting as a mediator between a two-electron reagent and a four-electron process. Adsorption provides a reducing potential and a supply of electrons from many hydrazines making possible the initial four-electron process even though each individual hydrazine is a two-electron donor. The product was characterized by FTIR and 1H NMR. The time period for preparation of ONPS from octaphenyl silsesquioxane was considerably shortened to avoid double nitration of the aromatic rings.

Synthesis and Characterization of Ferrocenyl Substituted Styryl Octasilsesquioxane

4-（2-Ferrocenylethenyl）-phenyl-POSS Fc-CH=CH-C6H6-（C5H9）7Si8O12 （FEPS, Fc： ferrocene）, containing metal and C=C double bond, was firstly synthesized as a mixture of E/Z isomers by the Wittig reaction. The chemical structure of FEPS was characterized by FTIR, ^1H-, ^13C and ^29Si- NMR.

Synthesis and Luminescent Property of Polycarbazole/Polyhedral Oligomeric Silsesquioxane Nanocomposites

Polyvinylcarbazole（PVK） composites containing organic-inorganic hybrid polyhedral oligomeric silse-squioxane（POSS） PVK-POSS were prepared by free radical polymerization. POSS monomers reacted with vinylcarbazole and were completely dispersed at molecular level in PVK matrix and PVK-POSS nanocomposites display higher glass transition temperature（Tg） in comparison with neat PVK. Optical properties of PVK/POSS nanocomposites were investigated by UV-spectrum and PL-spectrum and the results show that the PVK-POSS nanoparticles have a good interface effect and improve color purity effectively. The maximum absorption wavelength bathochromically shifts gradually with the increasing of the content of POSS. The luminescent intensity becomes higher and higher with the increase of POSS content, and reaches its maximum luminescent intensity when the POSS content is 3% （mass fraction）, while some POSS-rich nanoparticles are present in matrix when contents of POSS are beyond 5%.

Synthesis of Silsesquioxane Cages from Phenyl-cis-tetrol, 1,3-Divinyltetraethoxydisiloxane and Cyclopentyl Resins

The synthesis of T_8, T_ 10 and T_ 12 silsesquioxane cages from a range of starting materials: phenyl-cis-tetrol, 1,3-divinyltetraethoxydisiloxane and cyclopentyl T resins by using tetra n-butylammonium fluoride(TBAF) as the catalyst is described in this paper. The reaction yields obtained viathe current route are better compared to those viathe literature routes. Some of the cage compounds have been characterized by X-ray crystallography.

Study of Flame Retardation of Polycarbonate Modified by Polyhedral Oligomeric Silsesquioxane and Caged Bicyclic Phosphate

The flame-retarded polycarbonate（PC） has been made with octaphenyl polyhedral silsesquioxane（OPS） and/or caged bicyclic phosphate（Trimer）.Thermal gravimetric analysis（TGA）,Fourier-transform infrared（FTIR）,TGA-FTIR,limiting oxygen index（LOI）,and mechanical tests have been employed to characterize the modified PC.The additives of OPS and Trimer in PC have been proved to be effective flame-retardants because of the synergistic interaction between the elements of P and Si.The role of OPS and Trimer in PC degradation are different：OPS participates in the charring of PC,while Trimer makes PC degrade in advance.In addition,OPS and Trimer induced obvious differences in the mechanical properties of PC.

Synthesis and characterization of poly(methyl methacrylate-co-polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane)hybrid nanocomposites

A novel poly（methyl methacrylate-co-polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane） hybrid nanocomposite was synthesized by free radical polymerization and characterized by 1H NMR, 29Si NMR, and TGA technologies. Compared with PMMA homopolymer, the nanocomposite has better thermal stability.

Fabrication of Layer-by-layer Films of Polyhedral Oligomeric Silsesquioxanes

Layer-by-layer (LBL) self-assembly method was used to fabricate siliceous ultrathin films by using polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxanes as building blocks. Ammonium salt of octasilsesquioxane acid (OSi8) and poly(diallyldimethylammonium chloride) (PDDA) were alternately assembled onto CaF2 slide to form nanocomposite multilayers. Linear build-up of the LBL films was confirmed by UV-Vis spectroscopy. IR spectrum suggests existence of OSi8 and PDDA in the LBL films. Atomic force microscopic surface topography of the LBL films indicates the OSi8 covers the entire surface of the topmost layer and shows a granular morphology.

Synthesis and Properties of Organic-Inorganic Hybrid Porous Polymers Obtained with Click Addition Reactions of Thiol-Functionalized Random Type Silsesquioxane by and Diacrylate or Diisocyanate Compounds

Organic-inorganic hybrid network polymers have been synthesized by addition reaction of a thiol-functionalized random type silsesquioxane (SQ109) and alkyl diacrylate or diisocyanate compounds. Thiol-ene reaction of SQ109 and 1,4-butanediol diacrylate (BDA) successfully yield porous polymer in toluene initiated by azobis(isobutyronitrile) (AIBN) at 60°C. Morphology of the porous polymers was composed by connected globules, and the diameter of the globules decreased with increasing in the monomer concentration of the reaction system. By contrast, the reaction with 1,6-hexanediol diacrylate or 1,5-hexadiene yielded homogeneous clear gels. Thermal analyses of SQ109-BDA porous polymers indicated that thermal degradation of ester groups of BDA in the polymer network occurred at around 300°C. The porous polymer was also obtained by the reaction using a photo-initiator (Irugacure184) at room temperature, and showed higher Young’s modulus than the corresponding porous polymer obtained with the reaction with AIBN due to the small size of the globules. Young’s modulus of SQ109-BDA porous polymer increased with increasing in the monomer concentration of the reaction systems. Thiolisocyanate addition reactions between SQ109 and hexamethylene diisocyanate (HDI) or methylenediphenyl 4,4’-diisocyanate (MDI) were investigated to obtain network polymers. The reactions in toluene yielded the corresponding homogeneous clear gels. By contrast the reactions in a mixed solvent of toluene (50 vol.%) and N,N-dimethylformamide (50 vol.%) produced porous polymers. The morphology of the porous polymers was composed by connected globules or aggregated particles. The size of globules and particles in the SQ109-HDI porous polymers was larger than those in the SQ109-MDI porous polymers. Thermal degradation of SQ109-HDI and SQ109-MDI porous polymers started at round 260°C and showed endothermic peak at around 350°C derived from degradation of thio-urethane bond.

Polymer solar cells with an inverted device configuration using polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane-[60]fullerene dyad as a novel electron acceptor

A polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane-[60]fullerene (POSS-C60) dyad was designed and used as a novel electron acceptor for bulk heterojunction (BHJ) polymer solar cells (PSCs) with an inverted device configuration. The studies of time-resolved photoinduced absorption of the pristine thin film of poly[(4,4'-bis(2-ethylhexyl)dithieno[3,2-b:2',3'-d]silole)-2,6-diyl-alt-(4,7-bis (2-thienyl)-2,1,3-benzothiadiazole)-5,5'-diyl] (SiPCPDTBT) and the composite thin film of SiPCPDTBT:POSS-C60 indicated efficient electron transfer from SiPCPDTBT to POSS-C60 with inhibited back-transfer. BHJ PSCs made by SiPCPDTBT mixed with POSS-C60 yielded the power conversion efficiencies (PCEs) of 1.50%. Under the same operational conditions, PCEs observed from BHJ PSCs made by SiPCPDTBT mixed with [6,6]-phenyl-C61-butyric acid methyl ester were 0.92%. These results demonstrated that POSS-C60 is a potentially good electron acceptor for inverted BHJ PSCs.

Synthesis of cage-like octa(trimethylsiloxy)silsesquioxane

Cage-like octa(trimethylsiloxy)silsesquioxane [(Me3SiO)SiO1.5]8 has been synthesized via the trimethylsilylation of cubic tetramethylammonium silicate octamer [(Me4NO)-SiO1.5]8 with chlorotrimethylsilane. The silicate octamer can be selectively formed by the reaction of tetraethoxysilane Si(OEt)4 with aqueous tetramethylammonium hydroxide in equal

Surface patterning and modification of polyurethane biomaterials using silsesquioxane-gelatin additives for improved endothelial affinity

Polyurethanes(PUs) are well-known for their biocompatibility but their intrinsic inert property hampers cell-matrix interactions. Surface modifications are thus necessary to widen their use for biomedical applications. In this work, surface modifications of PU were achieved first by incorporating polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane(POSS), followed by alteration of the surface topography via the breath figures method. Subsequently, surface chemistry was also modified by immobilization of gelatin molecules through grafting, for the enhancement of the surface cytocompatibility. Scanning electron microscopy(SEM) was used to verify the formation of highly ordered microstructures while static contact angle, FTIR and XPS confirmed the successful grafting of gelatin molecules onto the surfaces. In vitro culture of human umbilical vein endothelial cells(HUVECs) revealed that endothelial cell adhesion and proliferation were significantly enhanced on the gelatin-modified surfaces, as shown by live/dead staining and WST-1 proliferation assay. The results indicated that the combination of the strategies yielded an interface that improves cell attachment and subsequent growth. This enhancement is important for the development of higher quality biomedical implants such as vascular grafts.

ORGANIC/INORGANIC HYBRID EPOXY NANOCOMPOSITES BASED ON OCTA(AMINOPHENYL)SILSESQUIOXANE

Octa（aminophenyl）silsesquioxane （OAPS） was used as the curing agent of diglycidyl ether of bisphenol-A （DGEBA） epoxy resin. A study on comparison of DGEBA/OAPS with DGEBA/4,4＇-diaminodiphenyl sulfone （DDS） epoxy resins was achieved. Differential scanning calorimetry was used to investigate the curing reaction and its kinetics, and the glass transition of DGEBA/OAPS. Thermogravimetric analysis was used to investigate thermal decomposition of the two kinds of epoxy resins. The reactions between amino groups and epoxy groups were investigated using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. Scanning electron microscopy was used to observe morphology of the two epoxy resins. The results indicated that OAPS had very good compatibility with DGEBA in molecular level, and could form a transparent DGEBA/OAPS resin. The curing reaction of the DGEBA/OAPS prepolymer could occur under low temperatures compared with DGEBA/DDS. The DGEBA/OAPS resin didn＇t exhibit glass transition, but the DGEBA/DDS did, which meant that the large cage structure of OAPS limited the motion of chains between the cross-linking points. Measurements of the contact angle indicated that the DGEBA/OAPS showed larger angles with water than the DGEBA/DDS resin. Thermogravimetric analysis indicated that the incorporation of OAPS into epoxy system resulted in low mass loss rate and high char yield, but its initial decomposition temperature seemed to be lowered.

Ultrasmall Nanoparticle ROS Scavengers Based on Polyhedral Oligomeric Silsesquioxanes

Although tremendous efforts have been devoted to the structural and functional tailoring of natural polyphenol-functionalized nan oparticles,preparing ultrasmall sized(<6 nm)particles with precisely-defined structures has remained a grand challenge.In this work,we reported the preparation of ultra-small and precisely structured polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxanes(POSS)-based polyphenol nanopartides(T8^-,T10^-,and T12^-GAPOSS)by accurately functionalizing the POSS surface with plant polyphenol gallic acid units via thiol-Michael"click"reactions.Those polyphenol nanoparticles exhibited strong free radical scavenging capacity,good biocompatibility and ability to resist cell oxidative damage,which dem on strated great potentials in inhibiting oxidative stress in duced pathologies.

Synthesis of Ladder-like Polyphenylsilsesquioxanes with Fairly High Regularity Using 1,2-Ethylenediamine as Endo-template

Ladder-like polyphenylsilsesquioxanes with fairly high regularity were synthesized using an endo-template 1,2-ethylenediamine at mild temperature via direct co-hydrolysis and condensation reactions in the presence of acid catalysts in the mixture of 1,4-dioxane/H20. The features for synthesis of ladder-like polyphenylsilsesquioxanes were investigated in detail. The products obtained were characterized by FTIR, SEC, XRD and NMR.

Arylazopyrazole-functionalized photoswitchable octanuclear Zn(Ⅱ)-silsesquioxane nanocage

Photoswitchable organic materials have shown significant advancement for photonic applications,however,the polynuclear metal clusters conjugated with photoswitching properties are still formidable.Herein,a novel octanuclear Zn(Ⅱ) nanocage{[Zn_(8)-(Me_(4)Si_(4)O_(8))_(2)(azopz)_(8)]·4CH_(2)Cl_(2)·MeOH·MeCN}(SD/Zn8)(Hazopz=3,5-dimethyl-4-(phenyldiazenyl)-1H-pyrazole),based on multidentate silsesquioxane and pyrazole modified by photoisomerizable azo group has been designed and synthesized to realize the reversible photoswitching behavior.X-ray crystallographic study reveals that the unique metal core consists of two annular Me_(4)Si_(4)O_(8)^(4-)sandwiching a ring of eight Zn atoms where the pyrazole end of azopz-bridges them together.The azopz-ligands diverge above and below the plane defined by eight Zn atoms.Importantly,SD/Zn8 shows quick trans-to-cis transformation upon 365 nm light irradiation,which can be easily changed back by 450 nm light,but slow cis-to-trans reversibility at room temperature as confirmed by UV-V is and 1H NMR spectroscopies.This process,which presumably regulates the spaces,acts like a pump and is completely repetitive.As such,it can be considered as a molecular pump energized by light.Importantly,the molecule is an energy reservoir where it absorbs the light energy and releases it slowly with time.

Three-dimensional configurations of organic/inorganic hybrid nanostructural blocks (I).A quantum mechanical investigation for ladder-like structure of vinylsilsesquioxane

The organic/inorganic hybrid nanostructural vinylsilsesquioxanes (VSSO) were prepared from the hydrolytic condensation of vinyltrimethoxysilane (VMS). The proposed formu- las of VSSO were assigned with standard spectroscopic techniques, FTIR, NMR (1H, C and 13 29Si) and MALDI-TOF MS, and a generic formula of the SSO, Tn(OH)x(OR’)y(x, y = 0, 1, 2…; n = 1, 2…; T = RSiO1.5 ?(x+y)/2n). Geometric parameters (Si-O and Si-C bond lengths, Si-O-Si and O-Si-O bond angles) and total energies of the multi-structures of VSSO were calculated by a quantum mechanical investigation and molecular symmetries. According to the results of the calculation, most molecules had stabler ladder structures than the cage isomers, therefore, the most probably reasonable and optimum structure of the VSSO system was the ladder type.

Preparation of Novel Silica Nanoparticles with Controllable Fluorescence Intensity from Porphyrin-Bridged Silsesquioxane

A method for the fabrication of an improved class of controllable fluorescence intensity, highly sensitive and photostable porphyrin doped silica nanoparticles （PDSNPs） was demonstrated. The fluorescence intensity of PDSNPs could be controlled by finely tuning self-dissociated time of the precursor of porphyrin-bridged silsesquioxane. Porphyrin was well dispersed into the silica matrix due to the covalent attachment in the system, thus entirely avoiding the porphyrin leakage and fluorescence quenching effects. The resultant PDSNPs with a narrow size-distributed region and a regular spherical structure can be attained.

Effectiveness of an ocular adhesive polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane hybrid thermo-responsive FK506 hydrogel in a murine model of dry eye

Dry eye is a common ocular disease that results in discomfort and impaired vision,impacting an individual’s quality of life.A great number of drugs administered in eye drops to treat dry eye are poorly soluble in water and are rapidly eliminated from the ocular surface,which limits their therapeutic effects.Therefore,it is imperative to design a novel drug delivery system that not only improves the water solubility of the drug but also prolongs its retention time on the ocular surface.Herein,we develop a copolymer from mono-functional POSS,PEG,and PPG(MPOSS-PEG-PPG,MPEP)that exhibits temperature-sensitive sol-gel transition behavior.This thermo-responsive hydrogel improves the water solubility of FK506 and simultaneously provides a mucoadhesive,long-acting ocular delivery system.In addition,the FK506-loaded POSS hydrogel possesses good biocompatibility and significantly improves adhesion to the ocular surface.In comparison with other FK506 formulations and the PEG-PPG-FK506(F127-FK506)hydrogel,this novel MPOSS-PEG-PPG-FK506(MPEP-FK506)hydrogel is a more effective treatment of dry eye in the murine dry eye model.Therefore,delivery of FK506 in this POSS hydrogel has the potential to prolong drug retention time on the ocular surface,which will improve its therapeutic efficacy in the management of dry eye.

Synthesis of peptide dendrimers with polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane cores via click chemistry

Inorganic polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane （POSS） was used as the core for the synthesis of poly（t- lysine） peptide dendrimer via copper-catalyzed azide-alkyne click chemistry. The inorganic/organic composite dendrimer was characterized by MS, 1H NMR, FTIR, GPC and DLS.

Bridged polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane(POSS):A potential member of silsesquioxanes

Two novel and well-defined polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxanes（POSS） with two same Si_8O_（12） cores and a reactive NH group, namely bridged-POSS（2a and 2b）,have been prepared by the traditional ＇corner-capping＇ reaction.X-ray diffraction demonstrates that those two POSS have the similar T_8 structure.From the thermo-gravimetric analysis,bridged-POSS shows the belter thermal degradation stability than the contrastive POSS.