POSS-Engineered Polymer Systems: From Molecular Integration to Multifunctional Thermal Performance

It highlights polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane (POSS) as a strategic solution, featuring a hybrid organo-silica cage core and a tunable organic shell. The review discusses mechanisms by which POSS modifies thermal behavior across length scales, from molecular integration to macroscopic function.

It demonstrates that rigid Si-O-Si cages provide inherent thermal resistance, while reactive peripheral groups enhance compatibility through covalent linkage. The review presents data showing that only 2 wt % POSS raises glass-transition temperatures by up to 47.6 °C, boosts thermal conductivity in metal-oxide hybrids by 60-70 %, increases thermal diffusivity by 90 %, and reduces ablation rates by 70 % under extreme heat flux.