Preparation and properties of silicone-urea copolymers doped with cobalt(II) chloride

Abstract

Incorporation of metal salts into polymeric materials leads to improvements in thermal, mechanical and electrical properties of the system. Depending on the structure and the oxidation state of the metal ion, these materials also display interesting optoelectronic properties. Silicone-urea copolymers containing various amounts of CoCl2.6H(2)O were prepared by solution blending. The level of metal incorporation ranged from 10% to 100% on molar basis. Products obtained were characterized by infrared spectroscopy, thermal analyses and stress-strain tests. In order to understand the mechanism of complex formation, quantum mechanical calculations were carried out on model 1,3-dimethylurea/Co(II) systems. Blends of 1,3-dimethylurea and CoCl2.6H(2)O were also prepared and analyzed by infrared spectroscopy.