PVA grafted POSS hybrid for high performance polyvinyl alcohol films with enhanced thermal, hydrophobic and mechanical properties

As one kind of novel nanomaterial, polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane (POSS) can improve the thermal stability, water resistance, and mechanical properties of the composites when introduced into a polymer matrix. In this work, we carried a novel method to fabricate polymeric nanocomposite films from poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) by grafting octa(−chloropropyl) POSS using sodium hydroxide (NaOH) as a catalyst. Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) and 1H nuclear magnetic resonance (1H NMR) spectral analysis confirmed the structure of POSS‐graft‐PVA (POSS‐g‐PVA) nanoparticles. For the cast nanocomposite films, transmission electron microscopy (TEM) micrographs revealed that good POSS dispersion/distribution into PVA matrix was achieved, leading to substantial improvement of mechanical properties, reduced water absorption, and enhanced thermal stability. The chemical grafting of PVA on the nanoparticles plays an important role in improving these properties compared with conventional filled composites. POLYM. COMPOS., 40:2768–2776, 2019.