Correlation between Functionated Structure and Nanomechanical Property Profiles of Silsesquioxane Films and Bulks

Three silsesquioxane (SSO) building blocks based on [3-(methacryloxy)propyl]trimethoxysilane (MPMS), [(3-glycidoxy)propyl] trimethoxysilane (GPMS), (vinyl)trimethoxysilane (VMS) and modified with 15 wt-% tetraethoxysilane (TEOS) were prepared using hydrolytic condensation. The hardness, elastic modulus and harmonic contact stiffness for three films [f-MTSSO (film-MPMS-TEOS-SSO), f-GTSSO and f-VTSSO] and bulks (b-MTSSO, b-GTSSO and b-VTSSO) derived from the three SSOs were tested by instrument-indentation testing. Different profiles of nanomechanical properties of the films can be attributed to a different functionality and the functionated structure of the different SSOs. The f-MTSSO shows better mechanical properties which are higher than the other two films containing more OH or OCH₃ groups. For the f-GTSSO with a bulky organic substituent, the unsatisfactory properties resulting from ring opening during hydrolytic condensation and an incomplete crosslinking network are discussed. However, the nanomechanical properties of the three bulks are very different from the corresponding nanomechanical properties of their films: b-VTSSO possesses the best nanomechanical properties (note: not b-MTSSO) among three bulks due to the differences in reaction conditions and chain less flexibility which are also discussed.