Polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane (POSS) based nanocomposites for dental application

Photopolymerization is an environmentally sensitive polymerization technique which takes place by means of reactive species formed by the irridiation of photoactive molecules. The photopolymerization technique with respect to thermal polymerization has many superior properties such as reaction at room temperature, less energy consumption and preparation of solventless formulations. Properties affecting the performance of the material such as hardness, color, solubility, permeability, tackiness, electrical conductivity after reaction can be easily adjusted by regulating the monomer and other chemicals in the formulation to react. From this point, the use of the photopolymerization technique has been preferred because it is an extremely effective method for preparing materials having desired properties. Nanocomposites are heterophasic composite structures comprising particles that are at least one dimension smaller than 100 nanometers dispersed in a continuous polymer matrix. The additives used in nanocomposite production are divided into three main categories according to their nanostructures. These are single nanostructured fillers, two nanosized carbon nanotubes and nanowires, and finally three nanosized silicas, metal particles and quantum particles. Polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane (POSS) molecules, especially in the form of a cube with a size of 1.5 mm, are often preferred for high performance material production. In this study, the use of diethanolamino functional POSS/camphorquinone photoinitiator system in dental fillings has been examined. The radical polymerization of the active radicals was carried out by removing hydrogen from the eight dimethylamino groups on the camphorquinone molecule POSS molecule, which is induced by visible region light. Thus, POSS molecules play both a photoinitiator and a cross-linker role. As a result, the diethylamino-functional POSS molecule has been successfully prepared as a nanocomposite toothpaste both as initiator in II type photopolymerization, as a crosslinker and as a reinforcer. The structures of the obtained materials are clarified by different analysis methods such as FTIR spectroscopy, thermogravimetric and transmission electron microscopy.