Positron annihilation lifetime study of organic-inorganic hybrid materials prepared by irradiation

Silica based hybrid materials, some containing zirconia, prepared by gamma-irradiation, were studied by positron annihilation lifetime (PAL) spectroscopy, in the temperature range of 30–370 K. One long-lived component was observed in group of samples without zirconia. The behavior of this component as a function of temperature resembles that for polymers. This is explained by the elastomer like structure of the samples and the excellent linking between the inorganic and organic networks. The average radius, R, of the free-volume holes was in the range 0.26–0.42 nm depending on the temperature. In the group of samples containing zirconia two long-lived components were observed. A model with three different free-volume holes was suggested to explain the PAL results. Small closed holes (R ∼ 0.26 nm) and large closed holes introduced by Zr (R ∼ 0.5 nm), the sizes of both holes not changing with the temperature, together with intermediate polymer-like free-volume holes – the same behavior as those present in samples not containing zirconia.