A Rapid One-Pot Synthesis of Novel High-Purity Methacrylic Phosphonic Acid (PA)-Based Polyhedral Oligomeric Silsesquioxane (POSS) Frameworks via Thiol-Ene Click Reaction

Herein, we demonstrate a facile methodology to synthesis a novel methacrylic phosphonic acid (PA)-functionalized polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxanes (POSSs) via thiol-ene click reaction using octamercapto thiol-POSS and ethylene glycol methacrylate phosphate (EGMP) monomer. The presence of phosphonic acid moieties and POSS-cage structure in POSS-S-PA was confirmed by Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) and nuclear magnetic resonance (1H, 29Si and 31P-NMR) analyses. Matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization time-of-flight (MALDI-TOF) mass spectrum of POSS-S-PA acquired in a dithranol matrix, which has specifically designed for intractable polymeric materials. The observed characterization results signposted that novel organo-inorganic hybrid POSS-S-PA would be an efficacious material for fuel cells as a proton exchange membrane and high-temperature applications due to its thermal stability of 380 ◦C.