New Trends in Poly(ethylene oxide) or Polystyrene Macromonomer Based Networks Exhibiting Silsesquioxane Cross-Linking Points

Poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) hydrogels and polystyrene (PS) networks were synthesized in toluene by coupling α,ω-diallyl PEO or α,ω-diundecenyl PS macromonomers with octafunctional silsesquioxanes via hydrosilylation in the presence of a "Speier" catalyst. Their equilibrium swelling degree and uniaxial compression modulus could be controlled by the synthesis parameters, i.e. the solvent, the macromonomer molar mass and the macromonomer concentration.