Preparation of self-healing organic–inorganic nanocomposites with the reactions between methacrylated polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxanes and furfurylamine

Abstract Multifunctional methacrylated polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxanes (MMA-POSS) and furfurylamine (FA) are utilized as the monomers to demonstrate an example of utilization of nanosized inorganic molecule as a reactive building block in preparation of nanohybrids materials. Both of the MA-amine Michael addition and MA-furan Diels–Alder (DA) reaction occur between the two monomers and contribute to build up the hybrid structures of the resulting materials. Based on the strong interaction between the POSS units, the nanohybrids materials exhibit self-assembled lamellar structures with a spacing width of about 455 nm. Moreover, the residual methacrylate groups of the POSS-based hybrid materials make them are thermally crosslinkable. The corresponding crosslinked nanocomposite exhibits thermally-induced self-healing ability based on the thermally-reversible MA-furan DA adducts built in the nanocomposites structure.