Morphology of organic and inorganic materilas

Abstract

Multicomponent polymeric materials with different characteristics have been prepared and characterized in this group. The preparation of hybrid materials containing organic and inorganic polymers is one of our concentration areas, allowing the combination of very different properties and the obtention of devices with innovative and comprising applications. The preparation of gels and glasses of polyphosphates and the obtention of nanoparticles which can be used as opacificant, powders for semiconductors enclosuring or cold molding is described. The obtention of gels and hybrid materials constituted by organic polymers and silica by a sol-gel process is also investigated. A potential application of these materials is in the field of polymeric membranes, which have been studied in this group since a long time. The preparation of composite membranes for nanofiltration or gas separation, using hybrid materials and mixtures of organic polymers, is described in detail. The investigation of phase separation mechanisms and their relationship with the morphology of the materials, is also described for obtaining essential information about the porous formation in membranes. The preparation of silicon carbide, which presents potential application in the development of high performance ceramics, using organic polymers as a precursor, is also investigated. The preparation, fractionation and characterization of latex particles with a core-shell structure, and their application in the polyamide toughing, is described. The morphological study of blends based on block copolymers is also described. The materials prepared in this project have been characterized as a function of their properties for each potential application, with emphasis to the morphological characterization. (AU)