New microstructural model of polymer-ceramic nanocomposite materials

Organoceramics are a new class of polymer/ceramic nanocomposite materials where polymer chains are molecularly mixed with the ceramics. A structural model for poly(vinyl alcohol) organoceramic nanocomposite materials proposed by Messersmith and Stupp [J. Mater. Res. 7, 2599–2611 (1992)] claims that polymer chains disperse in the interlayers of the ceramic precursor, causing a broadening of the basal plane spacing. The present research revealed this basal plane broadening does not exist. A new model was constructed where the polymer acts as a template for the ceramic microcrystals to nucleate and grow to reach a size of 20 Å. The ceramic microcrystals (hydrogen bonded to the polymer) further agglomerate and grow to the resulting rosette morphology, whereby the polymer is molecularly dispersed on the nanoscale throughout the ceramic.