Polyhedral Oligomeric Silsesquioxane (POSS)-Based Polymers

A diverse and entirely new class of monomer and polymer technology based on polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane (POSS) reagents has been developed. POSS reagents are unique in that they are physically large (approx. 15 Å diameter and 1000 amu) and are composed of a robust silicon–oxygen framework that can be easily functionalized with a variety of organic substituents. Appropriate functionalization of POSS cages allows for their incorporation into traditional thermoplastic resins without modification of existing manufacturing processes. The incorporation of POSS segments into linear copolymer systems results in increased glass transition and decomposition temperatures, increased oxygen permeability and reduced flammability and heat evolution, as well as modified mechanical properties relative to conventional organic systems. # 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.