Abstract While the incorporation of the inorganic fillers into polymers is envisioned to improve the properties of polymers, the organic–inorganic interface in the nanocomposite plays a prominent role in the modulation of the electrical, mechanical and thermal properties. Here, the epoxy chain-grafted silica nanoparticles were prepared and utilized as the fillers in epoxy matrix. The multiple physical properties such as the tensile strength, the elongation at break, the glass transition temperature, the dielectric strength of the nanocomposites with epoxy chain-grafted silica are simultaneously improved in comparison with those of the neat epoxy and the nanocomposites with unmodified silica. Moreover, substantial reductions in the water absorption ratio, dielectric loss and electric conductivity are obtained in the nanocomposites filled with epoxy-grafted silica even at relatively low filler loadings. These results verify the critical role of the chemically-bonded interface between organic and inorganic phases in determining the mechanical and dielectric strength of the polymer nanocomposites. The interaction zone models for the interface between nanoparticle and polymer matrix have been proposed to rationalize the experimental results.

中文翻译：

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通过化学键合界面协同增强环氧树脂/二氧化硅纳米复合材料的机械和电气强度

摘要 虽然设想将无机填料掺入聚合物中以改善聚合物的性能，但纳米复合材料中的有机-无机界面在调节电学、机械和热学性能方面起着重要作用。在这里，环氧链接枝的二氧化硅纳米粒子被制备并用作环氧基质中的填料。与纯环氧树脂和未改性二氧化硅纳米复合材料相比，环氧链接枝二氧化硅纳米复合材料的拉伸强度、断裂伸长率、玻璃化转变温度、介电强度等多种物理性能同时得到改善。此外，吸水率大幅降低，即使在填充量相对较低的情况下，在填充有环氧树脂接枝二氧化硅的纳米复合材料中也能获得介电损耗和电导率。这些结果证实了有机相和无机相之间的化学键合界面在决定聚合物纳米复合材料的机械和介电强度方面的关键作用。已经提出了纳米颗粒和聚合物基质之间界面的相互作用区模型来使实验结果合理化。