Abstract
The present paper refers to the possibility of obtaining inorganic-organic nanohybrids, starting from nanoporous silica, in which the acrylonitrile template polymerization proceeds. In order to enhance the homogeneity between constitutive parts of the nanocomposite several methods were tested like increase of the imbibition period of the silica with the monomer, a better absorption capacity of the silica for the monomer and the use of the ultrasonication technique. The influence of the ultrasonic field on the template polymerization of acrylonitrile in inorganic structures was proved by FTIR and TG/DTG analyses. Ultrasonication was employed before the polymerization, in order to prevent the aggregation of particles, to well disperse the silica particles in the vinyl monomer and for a good imbibition. The results demonstrate that ultrasonication is effective in homogenizing the constitutive parts of the hybrid materials by yielding a fine microstructure of sintered nanomaterials. Keywords: inorganic-organic hybrid, porous silica, ultrasonication, template polymerization, nanocomposites