Effect of reaction vessel materials on the surface properties of polyvinyl chloride/silica gel hybrid materials

Organic-inorganic polymer hybrids were synthesized using polyvinyl chloride and phenyl trimethoxysilane in various reaction vessels. The resulting hybrid films were transparent after synthesis, whether in polypropylene (PP), glass, or polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) vessels. However, within one week of storage at room temperature, the samples synthesized in glass or PTFE vessels became turbid. The water contact angle of the back side of the film synthesized in the PP vessel, which was in contact with the vessel surface during synthesis, was 91.9° immediately after synthesis and 92.2° after one week, showing no significant change. In contrast, the contact angle of the film synthesized in the glass vessel decreased from 90.8° to 86.8° after one week, while that in the PTFE vessel increased from 96.6° to 98.4°. These results demonstrate that the transparency and wettability of hybrids are significantly affected by the reaction vessel material.