Anionic UV curing of epoxy resins containing dispersed scaly silica modified with base-amplifying groups

[Display omitted] •Scaly silica (SS) chemically-modified with base-amplifying groups was prepared.•Anionic UV curing of an epoxy resin with the chemically-modified SS was achieved.•The chemically-modified SS was well dispersed in the UV-cured film. A cured organic-inorganic composite material where scaly silica (SS) was well-dispersed has been successfully fabricated with a tetrafunctional epoxy resin and chemically-modified SS through an effective anionic UV-curing system using base proliferation reactions. SS chemically-modified with base-amplifying groups (1.4wt% toward SS) was prepared, and anionic UV curing of an epoxy resin containing 100wt% of chemically-modified SS was achieved after 5000mJ/cm2 of light irradiation at a wavelength of 365nm and subsequent heating at 160°C for 30min. It was found by scanning electron microscopic study that the chemically-modified SS was well dispersed in the UV-cured film, and that unmodified SS was found to be aggregated.