Small-angle X-ray scattering investigations of fractal dimensions of hybrid inorganic organic network (ceramers) based on tetraethylorthosilicate and polytetramethylene oxide

Over the last 2 years the sol gel technique has become very popular because of its ability to yield multicomponent inorganic glasses at low temperatures. More recently techniques to incorporate functionlized organic species into a sol gel network of metal alkoxides have been developed and studied in our laboratory as well as others. Most of these studies have focussed on the structure-property behavior of these materials, with an emphasis on understanding the properties in terms of the level of microphase separation that occurs during the network buildup in these systems. While much has been gained in this respect, the desire exists to characterize better the structure of the inorganic phase in such systems, and in this respect, utilization of small-angle X-ray scattering profiles can provide information about this structure through fractal analysis. The work discussed here focuses specifically on the fractal character of specific ceramer materials produced as a result of the reaction between tetraethylorthosilicate and end-functionalized polytetramethylene oxide. It is shown that the cosolvent system utilized to compatibilize the reactants plays a very important role in development of the structure of the inorganic phase in these hybrid materials.