Mesoporous silica catalysts modified with sulfonic acid and their catalytic activity on ring opening polymerization of octamethylcyclotetrasiloxane

Mesoporous silica solid catalysts modified with sulfonic acid were prepared for cationic ring-opening polymerization of octa-methylcyclotetrasiloxane (D₄). Two sets of MCM-41 (1.7 and 2.8 nm) and SBA-15 (8.1 and 15.9 nm) with different pore sizes were used as catalyst supports. The surface of silica materials was modified with (3-mercaptopropyl)trimethoxysilane by silylation reaction and oxidized to sulfonic acid. The structures of the prepared catalysts were examined by X-ray diffraction and nitrogen adsorption-desorption. The pore size, specific surface area, and pore volume of the modified solid catalysts decreased slightly. In addition, the modification of the sulfonic acid on the silica surface was confirmed by using infrared spectroscopy and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. To observe the effect of the particle size on the catalytic activity, it was observed with a scanning electron microscope. The catalysts were used to synthesize PDMS through a ring-opening polymerization of D₄, and the conversion and polymerization rate of the polymerization reaction depended on the pore size, specific surface area, particle size, and particle agglomeration of the catalysts. In order for the polymerization rate, the catalyst prepared with SBA-15 of 8.1 nm pore size had the fastest reaction rate and showed the best catalytic activity.