Poly(styrene-b-butadiene-b-styrene) - dye-coupled polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxanes

Dye-coupled polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane (POSS) were prepared and the coloured POSS particles were ultrasonically solution dispersed in poly(styrene-b-butadiene-bstyrene) (SBS). POSS molecules contained either isobutyl or phenyl groups to provide selective compatibility with either the soft (butadiene) or hard (styrene) phase within the block copolymer. The composition and thermal stability were characterised using thermogravimetry. Colour coordinates were measured. Tensile mechanical properties, creep and recovery were determined. Creep was modeled using the 4-element model of Maxwell and Kelvin-Voigt, while recovery correlated with the stretched-exponential function of Kohlrausch, Williams and Watts.