Synthesis and Properties of Ethylene Imine-Based Porous Polymer Nanocomposites with Metal Oxide Nanoparticles.

Ethylene imine-based porous polymer nanocomposites were prepared by ring-opening polymerization of 2,2-bishydroxymethylbutanol-tris [3-(1-aziridinyl)propionate] (3AZ), a tri-functional aziridine compound, in the presence of commercially available metal oxide nanoparticles, SiO or ZrO, accompanied by polymerization-induced phase separation. The reactions with SiO and ZrO nanoparticles successfully yielded nanocomposite porous polymers as rigid materials. The nanocomposite porous polymers with SiO and ZrO nanoparticles showed characteristic surface morphologies composed of gathered particles with diameters less than 1 micrometer. These nanocomposites were effective in increasing Young's moduli of the porous polymers due to an increase in their bulk densities. The presence of SiO and ZrO nanoparticles in the porous polymers efficiently retarded thermal decomposition.