Characterization and Mechanical Properties of Flexible Dimethylsiloxane‐Based Inorganic/Organic Hybrid Sheets

Flexible large sheets of dimethylsiloxane‐based inorganic/organic hybrids with sizes of ∼200 mm × 290 mm and ∼1.5 mm thickness have been fabricated from poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS) and metal alkoxides of Zr and Ta. The hybrid sheets were characterized by XPS, EXAFS, FT‐IR, HRTEM, and SAXS. The inorganic components derived from metal alkoxides in the dimethylsiloxane‐based hybrid sheets were found to be present as oxide‐like clusters with sizes of 2–3 nm or below, which were chemically attached to PDMS via M–O–Si bonds. The hybrid sheets showed high elongation, strength, and thermal stability. A high elongation of about 100% was observed in the hybrid sheets fabricated in Zr(OBu n ) 4 /PDMS = 2 at 180°C and a high tensile strength of about 3.0 MPa was observed in those fabricated in Zr(OBu n ) 4 /PDMS = 4 at 180°C. The flexibility of the hybrid sheets was kept at least to 200°C for 100 h in N 2 . These features are thought to come from the inorganic components derived from metal alkoxides, which are close to the molecular‐level size and behave as a strong cross‐linking agent of PDMS chains.