Summary: | The structure and properties of nanocomposites based on amorphous polyarylene ether ketones with different functional side groups (methyl, phthalide, phthalimidine) are investigated. Nanocomposites are prepared by in situ filling of the polymers; metalloalkoxysiloxanes, namely, tris-(methyldiethoxysiloxy)iron, tetrakis-(methyldiethoxysiloxy)zirconium and tetrakis-(methyldiethoxysiloxy)hafnium, were used as precursors for the filler phase. It is demonstrated that the chemical structure and polarity of the matrix macromolecule side groups are the key factors that determine the design of an in situ generated nanofiller (size, density, inhomogeneity or a continuous network structure). The in situ filling of polyarylene ether ketones does not impair their unique thermal properties and promotes an improvement in the tensile stress for the breaking of the nanocomposites that they are based on. The discussed approach for preparing nanocomposites based on thermo-stable polymers is promising for the creation of functional materials with tunable characteristics, such as dielectric properties and their resistance to atomic oxygen. Keywords: Polyarylene ether ketone, Metalloalkoxysiloxane, A sol-gel process, Nanocomposite, The structure, Properties
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