Scratch resistant transparent organically modified sol-gel materials
typically utilize organics as acrylates, or pre-polymer silicon or carbon
backbone material. The use of diepoxide monomers within a sol-gel matrix has
yet to be described as a means of obtaining high performance coating
materials. This paper describes the preparation and characterization of UV
curable inorganic-organic hybrid glass materials based on the incorporation
of cycloaliphatic diepoxide monomers into a sol-gel composition of TEOS and
the epoxide silane coupling agent glycidoxypropyl-trimethoxysilane. We
report aging and humidity studies along with processing conditions that
affect the silicate distribution and cationic cure of the diepoxide resin
based on solution and solid state NMR experiments. Mechanical analysis of
thin films prepared by varying processing conditions and length of the
diepoxide backbone are also discussed.