POSS—Thermosetting polymer nanocomposites

Abstract Within the framework of material science, nanocomposites and hybrid materials constitute an important part. As the progress in nanotechnology marches on in the 21st century, it is not surprising to find innovative smart nano-sized fillers for the preparation of nanocomposites. Polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxanes (POSS), the new stars of nano-fillers, are versatile, lightweight, easily dispersible, and nontoxic. Generally the addition of POSS to thermosetting resins improves thermal, mechanical, and flame-retardant properties. This chapter will focus on POSS-based thermosetting polymer nanocomposites (polyurethanes, epoxy resins, acrylates, etc.), their preparation methods, properties, and applications. First an introduction to thermoset nanocomposites will be presented, and then the recent progress in the development POSS containing thermoset polymers will be reviewed. Studies in the literature on POSS/thermoset polymer nanocomposites will be summarized and the effectiveness of POSS in thermoset polymers will be discussed.