We report the first synthesis of polyimide aerogels cross-linked through a polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane, octa(aminophenyl)silsesquioxane (OAPS). Gels formed from polyamic acid solutions of 3,3',4,4'-biphenyltetracarboxylic dianhydride (BPDA), bisaniline-p-xylidene (BAX) and OAPS were chemically imidized and dried using supercritical CO(2) extraction to give aerogels having density around 0.1 g/cm(3). The aerogels are greater than 90 % porous, have high surface areas (230 to 280 m(2)/g) and low thermal conductivity (14 mW/m-K at room temperature). Notably, the polyimide aerogels cross-linked with OAPS have higher modulus than polymer reinforced silica aerogels of similar density and can be fabricated as both monoliths and thin films. Thin films of the aerogel are flexible and foldable making them an ideal insulation for space suits, and inflatable structures for habitats or decelerators for planetary re-entry, as well as more down to earth applications.

Combinations of rigid and flexible aromatic diamines were used to tailor the properties of octa(aminophenyl)-silsesquioxane (OAPS) cross-linked polyimide aerogels. 2,2'-Dimethylbenzidine (DMBZ) or p-phenylenediamine (PPDA) was used in combination with the more-flexible diamine, 4,4'-oxydianiline (ODA). The amount of rigid diamine was varied from 0% to 100% of the total diamines in the backbone. The resulting aerogels vary in density, shrinkage, porosity, surface area, mechanical and thermal properties (depending on the type of diamine and the proportions of rigid diamine to flexible diamine used). Replacing ODA with PPDA increases shrinkage that occurs during gelation and processing, while increasing the DMBZ fraction decreases shrinkage. Replacing ODA with 50 mol% of DMBZ maintains the flexibility of thin films, while the moisture resistance of the aerogels is greatly improved.

Polyimide aerogels combine high porosity, low thermal conductivity, flexibility, and low density with excellent mechanical properties. However, previously used cross-linkers, such as 1,3,5-triaminophenoxybenzene (TAB), 2,4,6-tris(4-aminophenyl)pyridine (TAPP), or octa(aminophenoxy)silsesquioxane (OAPS), either are not commercially available or are prohibitively expensive. Finding more cost efficient cross-linkers that are commercially available to synthesize these aerogels is crucial for making large scale manufacturing attractive. Herein, we describe an approach to making polyimide aerogels starting with amine capped oligomers that are cross-linked with 1,3,5-benzenetricarbonyl trichloride (BTC). BTC is a lower cost, commercially available alternative to TAB, TAPP, or OAPS. Aerogels made in this way have the same or higher modulus and higher surface area compared to those previously reported with either TAB or OAPS cross-links at the same density. While the cross-link structure is an amide, the thermal stability is not compromised most likely because the cross-link is only a small part of the composition of the aerogel. Onset of decomposition depends primarily on the backbone chemistry with 4,4'-oxidianiline (ODA) being more thermally stable than 2,2'-dimethylbenzidine (DMBZ), similar to those previously reported with other cross-links.

No abstract

Structure-property relationships in porous 3-D nanostructures as a function of preparation conditions: isocyanate crosslinked silica aerogels Aerogels produced by cross-linking amine decorated silica surfaces with diisocyanates are significantly stronger than native aerogels with only a small effect on density or porosity. Herein, we examine the effects of four processing parameters on properties of resulting monoliths, focusing on 13 C NMR to give insight into the polymer cross-link. 2 have been shown to significantly increase the strength of aerogels with only a small effect on density or porosity. Though density is a prime predictor of properties such as strength and thermal conductivity for aerogels, it is becoming clear from previous studies that varying the silica backbone and size of the polymer cross-link independently can give rise to combinations of properties which cannot be predicted from density alone. Herein, we examine the effects of four processing parameters for producing this type of polymer cross-linked aerogel on properties of the resulting monoliths. We focus on the results of 13 C CP-MAS NMR which gives insight to the size and structure of polymer cross-link present in the monoliths, and relates the size of the cross-links to microstructure, mechanical properties and other characteristics of the materials obtained.