| Abstract Scope |
Preceramic polymers (PCPs) transition to ceramics during pyrolysis, offering processibility and customizable chemistry. However, this process leads to volume shrinkage and porosity due to the evolution of volatile organic products. Incorporating fillers like ceramic nanoparticles reduces porosity but can increase viscosity and induce phase separation. Chemically grafting polymers onto nanoparticle surfaces forms PCP-grafted nanoparticles (PCP-GNPs), yielding single-phase, flowable materials with high ceramic content. Understanding the relationship between material design parameters and properties is crucial for effective processing. Our aim is to elucidate the impact of parameters such as graft density and length on the structure, entanglement, and final ceramic yield of PCP-GNP systems. To achieve this, we synthesized, and characterized the systems using spectroscopy (e.g., NMR, FTIR) and scattering (e.g., DLS), and formed monolayers using the Langmuir-Blodgett approach. Monolayer structure was examined using atomic force microscopy (AFM), Their mechanical properties were assessed through wrinkling and cracking methods. |