Sustainable organic–inorganic hybrid coating system with multiple cure capabilities

Abstract

Organic–inorganic hybrid (OIH) coatings and thin films have been established as advanced materials owing to their unique combination of properties suitable for many current and emerging end-use applications. The difficulties in the deposition of such films under desirable cure conditions limit their application space. This study presents the development of a new generation of functional oligomers designed to cure independently under various cure conditions to produce OIH coatings. Specifically, we have meticulously designed and synthesized a high-solid organosilane oligomer with polyurethane backbone structure and alkoxysilane functionality. This study investigates high-solid OIH coating systems comprised of organosilane oligomer, alkoxysilane reactive diluents, and a diverse range of blocked catalysts for their effectiveness in curing under thermal, UV exposure, and ambient temperature conditions. Furthermore, we have explored the potential to combine these curing processes, offering the coating system with plural-cure capabilities. FTIR spectroscopy has been used to track the extent of cure by tracking relative intensities of alkoxysilane groups before and after curing. A comparative analysis of coatings cured by various techniques provided valuable insights into the underlying curing mechanisms and their impact on film properties. The outcome of this study suggests that these new generation versatile OIH coatings systems can be excellent candidates for sustainable advanced coating applications.