Synthesis of a poly(methyl methacrylate)/silica nano-composite by soaking of a microphase separated polymer film into a perhydropolysilazane solution

A novel synthetic method of poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA)/silica nano-composite with well-segregated PMMA and silica domains was proposed. To obtain the nano-composite, a poly(methyl methacrylate)-block-poly(2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate) (PMMA-block-PHEMA) film with PMMA and PHEMA domains was soaked into a pyridine/m-xylene/perhydropolysilazane (PHPS) mixture and calcinated at 90 °C under steam. PHPS was homogeneously introduced into the film and selectively converted to silica in PHEMA microdomains of the PMMA-block-PHEMA film. The morphology of the nano-composite was investigated by transmission election microscopy (TEM).