Abstract
Poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS) star polymers having a nanosized silica particle as a core were prepared by reacting silica nanoparticles with monoglycidylether-terminated poly(dimethylsiloxane). This star polymer was a hybrid material having an extremely high content of silica. The PDMS arms formed an organic domain to separate the silica particles and to prevent particle aggregation. The star polymers exhibited good thermal stability and high activation energy of their degradation reaction, in comparison to the linear PDMS polymer and the PDMS/silica blending materials. This star polymer can be used as a flame retardant for polymeric materials and this preparation technique can be applied to prepare other star polymers.