The pillaring effect of the 1,2-dimethyl-3(benzyl ethyl iso-butyl POSS) imidazolium cation in polymer/montmorillonite nanocomposites

A polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane (POSS) tethered imidazolium surfactant was used to exchange montmorillonite for the preparation of polymer nanocomposites in polystyrene, poly(ethylene-co-vinyl acetate), and polyamide-6 using a melt blending technique. Simultaneous temperature resolved small angle X-ray scattering and wide angle X-ray diffraction was used to monitor the surfactant stability and phase behavior of the polyamide-6 nanocomposites. Good thermal stability of the surfactant was in agreement with thermogravimetric analysis. Transmission electron microscopy revealed a mixed intercalated/exfoliated structure, with the presence of small tactoids exhibiting gallery spacings greater than 3.8 nm in all three polymers. Fluorescently tagged organically exchanged montomorillonite was used to assess the quality of nanoparticle dispersion. Exchanging the montmorillonite with lower loadings of the POSS surfactant slightly increased the size of clay tactoids, but did not significantly alter the gallery spacing or overall dispersion. The results suggest that the bulky and rigid structure of POSS, as well as its tendency to aggregate into ordered crystals, form a bilayer structure in the clay galleries and prevent montmorillonite from completely exfoliating, even in polyamide-6.