Published online by Cambridge University Press: 21 February 2011
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.