Synthesis of phosphorus-containing polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxanes via hydrolytic condensation of a modified silane

A simple route to synthesize a new type of phosphorus‐containing polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxanes (DOPO–POSS) in high yield, by the hydrolytic condensation of a modified silane, is reported. The starting material was a phosphorus‐containing triethoxy silane (DOPO–VTES), which was synthesized by addition reaction between 9,10‐dihydro‐9‐oxa‐10‐phosphaphenanthrene‐10‐oxide (DOPO) and vinyl triethoxy silane (VTES). This product was subjected to hydrolytic condensation using an HCl catalyst in methanol. The new types of phosphorus‐containing POSS were obtained and characterized using 1H, 13C, 29Si‐NMR, MALDI‐TOF MS, XRD, DSC, and FTIR. All of these results suggested that the DOPO–POSS were amorphous mixtures of T8, T9(OH), and TGA curve of DOPO–POSS shows that the cage‐like compound has high thermal stability. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2011