Synthesis and characterization of a novel alcohol-soluble ladderlike polysilsesquioxane containing side-chain with amino terminal groups

Abstract

A novel kind of alcohol-soluble ladderlike polysilsesquioxane having side-chain with amino terminal groups (NH2-T) was first prepared by reduction of nitro terminal groups on the side chains of ladderlike polynitrosilsesquioxane (NO2-T) with a nearly 100% conversion rate. The parent polymer NO2-T was synthesized by stepwise coupling polymerization. As starting monomer, 3-(4-nitrophenoxy)propyltrichlorosilane (M) was synthesized by hydrosilylation of the corresponding allylic derivative with trichlorosilane in the presence of dicyclopentadienylplatinum (II) chloride (Cp2PtCl2) catalyst in a high yield. A variety of characterization methods including FTIR, 1H NMR, 13C NMR, 29Si NMR, differential scanning calorimetry, thermogravimetric analysis, vapour pressure osmometry, and X-ray diffraction were combined to verify that NH2-T had ladderlike structure. The alcohol-soluble ladderlike NH2-T prepared has promising application in controlled release of catalysts and drugs, NLO materials, alignment layer in liquid crystal display, and as a precursor for further preparing advanced functional polymers and their supramolecular systems.