The Mechanical Properties Relationship of Radiation-Cured Nanocomposites Based on Acrylates and Cationic Polymerized Epoxies and the Composition of Silane-Modified Tungsten Disulfide Nanoparticles.

The effect of semiconducting tungsten disulfide (WS) nanoparticles (NPs), functionalized by either methacryloxy, glycidyl, vinyl, or amino silanes, has been studied in photocuring of acrylate and epoxy resins (the latter photocured according to a cationic mechanism). The curing time, degree of curing (DC), thermal effects, and mechanical properties of the radiation-cured resins were investigated. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) analyses confirmed that a silane coating was formed (1-4 nm) on the NPs' surface having a thickness of 1-4 nm.