Ultraviolet-radiation curing of an organically modified silicate-based material system with epoxy functionality, and the role of titanium

Complete text of publication follows. Inorganic-organic hybrid material systems, particularly organically modified silicates, offer significant opportunities in the context of development of materials for applications such as dental restoration, photonic interconnection/optical waveguiding, abrasion-resistant coating, etc. To obtain materials of this type, the sol-gel synthesis method, which enable increased control over the the chemical composition, microstructure, phase stability, and hence the final properties, can be used. In this study, an inorganic-organic hybrid material system was synthesised by the sol-gel method using (3-glycidyloxypropyl)trimethoxysilane, tetraethoxysilane, dimethyldi-ethoxysilane, and titanium(IV) iso-propoxide. The resultant material system was processed with ultraviolet (UV)-radiation. Influences of certain synthesis and process parameters, including Ti content, sol ageing time, and UV-radiation time, on various properties of the system were detailed. Overall results demonstrated that Ti-based precursors and UV-radiation could be employed to modify the microstructure, and that the final properties of the system might be tuned by an optimal combination of these two parameters. This technique therefore provides a new process regime to obtain materials of this type with desired properties.