Composition comprising silylated polymers

1. A composition comprising at least one silylated polyurethane compound comprising an alkoxysilyl group, a silanol group, or combinations thereof and at least one tin-free polyhedral oligomeric metallo silsesquioxane curing agent.

2. The composition according claim 1 , wherein said at least one tin-free polyhedral oligomeric metallo silsesquioxane curing agent is a compound of formula (I):

wherein

X 1 , X 2 , and X 3 are each independently selected from Si or M 1 , wherein M 1 is selected from the group consisting of s and p block metals with the exclusion of tin and d and f block transition metals, lanthanide and actinide metals, and metalloids;

Z 1 , Z 2 and Z 3 are each independently selected from L 2 , R 5 , R 6 , or R 7 ; wherein L 2 is selected from —OH or —O—C 1-10 alkyl;

Y 1 and Y 2 are each independently —O-M 2 -L 3 ; or Y 1 and Y 2 are linked together and form —O-M 2 (L 3 )-O— or —O—; wherein L 3 is selected from OH or —O—C 1-10 alkyl; and M 2 is selected from the group consisting of s and p block metals with the exclusion of tin and d and f block transition metals, lanthanide and actinide metals, and metalloids;

R 1 , R 2 , R 3 , R 4 , R 5 , R 6 , and R 7 are each independently selected from substituted or unsubstituted C 1-20 alkyl, substituted or unsubstituted C 3-6 cycloalkyl, substituted or unsubstituted C 2-20 alkenyl, or substituted or unsubstituted C 6-10 aryl;

and

X 4 is -M 3 L 1 , or M 3 , and Q 1 and Q 2 are each a single bond linked to M 3 ; wherein L 1 is selected from —OH or —O—C 1-10 alkyl, and M 3 is selected from the group consisting of s and p block metals with the exclusion of tin and d and f block transition metals, lanthanide and actinide metals, and metalloids;

or

X 4 is -M 3 L 1 ; and Q 2 is a single bond linked to M 3 ; and Q 1 is -M 4 L 4 or —SiR 38 ; wherein M 4 is selected from the group consisting of s and p block metals with the exclusion of tin and d and f block transition metals, lanthanide and actinide metals, and metalloids; wherein L 4 is selected from —OH or alkyl, and R 38 is selected from substituted or unsubstituted O 1-20 alkyl, substituted or unsubstituted O 3-6 cycloalkyl, substituted or unsubstituted O 2-20 alkenyl, or substituted or unsubstituted O 6-10 aryl;

or

X 4 , Q 1 and Q 2 are each independently -M 3 L 1 ;

or

X 4 is —Si(R 38 )—O-M 3 L 1 ; Q 2 is a single bond linked to the Si of X 4 ; and Q 1 is -M 4 L 4 ;

or

X 4 is —Si(R 38 )—O-M 3 L 1 ; Q 2 is a single bond linked to the Si of X 4 ; and Q 1 is a single bond linked to the M 3 of X 4 .

3. The composition according to claim 2 , wherein X 1 , X 2 , X 3 are each independently Si;

X 4 is -M 3 L 1 ; and Q 1 and Q 2 are each a single bond linked to M 3 ; wherein M 3 is Ti and L 1 is O-i-propyl;

Z 1 , Z 2 and Z 3 are each independently C 1-6 alkyl;

R 1 , R 2 , R 3 , R 4 are each independently C 1-6 alkyl;

Y 1 and Y 2 are linked together and form —O—.

4. The composition according to claim 2 , wherein M 1 , M 2 , M 3 and M 4 each independently are selected from the group consisting of Ti, Zr and Hf.

5. The composition according to claim 1 , wherein said at least one tin-free polyhedral oligomeric metallo silsesquioxane curing agent is a compound of formula (II):

wherein X 1 , X 2 , and X 3 are each independently selected from Si or M 1 , wherein M 1 is selected from the group consisting of s and p block metals with the exclusion of tin and d and f block transition metals, lanthanide and actinide metals, and metalloids;

Z 1 , Z 2 and Z 3 are each independently selected from L 2 , R 5 , R 6 , or R 7 ; wherein L 2 is selected from —OH or —O—C 1-10 alkyl;

Y 1 and Y 2 are each independently —O-M 2 -L 3 ; or Y 1 and Y 2 are linked together and form faun —O-M 2 (L 3 )-O— or —O—; wherein L 3 is selected from OH or —O—C 1-10 alkyl; and M 2 is selected from the group consisting of s and p block metals with the exclusion of tin and d and f block transition metals, lanthanide and actinide metals, and metalloids;

R 1 , R 2 , R 3 , R 4 , R 5 , R 6 , and R 7 are each independently selected from substituted or unsubstituted C 1-20 alkyl, substituted or unsubstituted C 3-6 cycloalkyl, substituted or unsubstituted C 2-20 alkenyl, or substituted or unsubstituted C 6-10 aryl;

and X 4 is -M 3 L 1 , or M 3 , and Q 1 and Q 2 are each a single bond linked to M 3 ; wherein L 1 is selected from OH or —O—C 1-10 alkyl, and M 3 is selected from the group consisting of s and p block metals with the exclusion of tin and d and f block transition metals, lanthanide and actinide metals, and metalloids;

or

X 4 is -M 3 L 1 ; and Q 2 is a single bond linked to M 3 ; and Q 1 is -M 4 L 4 or —SiR 38 ; wherein M 4 is selected from the group consisting of s and p block metals with the exclusion of tin and d and f block transition metals, lanthanide and actinide metals, and metalloids; wherein L 4 is selected from —OH or —O—C 1-10 alkyl, and R 38 is selected from substituted or unsubstituted C 1-20 alkyl, substituted or unsubstituted C 3-6 cycloalkyl, substituted or unsubstituted C 2-20 alkenyl, or substituted or unsubstituted C 6-10 aryl;

or

X 4 , Q 1 and Q 2 are each independently -M 3 L 1 ;

or

X 4 is —Si(R 38 )—O-M 3 L 1 ; Q 2 is a single bond linked to the Si of X 4 ; and Q 1 is -M 4 L 4 ;

or

X 4 is —Si(R 38 )—O-M 3 L 1 ; Q 2 is a single bond linked to the Si of X 4 ; and Q 1 is a single bond linked to the M 3 of X 4 .

6. The composition according to claim 1 , wherein said at least one tin-free polyhedral oligomeric metallo silsesquioxane curing agent is a compound of formula (III):

wherein M is selected from the group consisting of s and p block metals with the exclusion of tin and d and f block transition metals, lanthanide and actinide metals, and metalloids;

x is an integer selected from 0 or 1;

y is an integer selected from 0 or 1;

R 8 and R 9 are each independently C 1-20 alkyl;

R 10 and R 11 are each independently C 1-20 alkyl;

and R 12 , R 13 , R 14 , R 15 , R 16 , R 17 , R 18 , R 19 , R 20 , R 21 , R 22 , R 23 , R 24 , and R 25 are each independently selected from substituted or unsubstituted C 1-20 alkyl, substituted or unsubstituted C 3-6 cycloalkyl, substituted or unsubstituted C 2-20 alkenyl, or substituted or unsubstituted C 6-10 aryl.

7. The composition according to claim 6 , wherein x and y are each 0; M is Ti; R 8 , R 9 , R 10 and R 11 are each independently C 1-6 alkyl; and R 12 to R 25 are each independently C 1-6 alkyl.

8. The composition according to claim 7 , wherein R 8 and R 9 are each i-propyl; and R 12 to R 25 are each i-butyl.

9. The composition according to claim 7 , wherein R 8 and R 9 are each i-propyl; and R 12 to R 25 are each i-octyl.

10. The composition according to claim 1 , further comprising a silylated polymer selected from the group consisting of silylated silicones, silylated polyethers (MS polymers), silylated polycarbonates, silylated polyolefins, silylated polyesters, silylated polyacrylates, silylated polyvinyl acetates, mixtures thereof and copolymers thereof.

11. The composition according to claim 1 , wherein said silylated polyurethane compound is obtained by reaction of at least one isocyanate with at least one isocyanate reactive compound and with at least one alkoxysilane compound and/or silanol compound.

12. The composition according to claim 11 , wherein the alkoxysilane compound is an aminoalkoxysilane.

13. The composition according to claim 1 , wherein the amount of said tin-free polyhedral oligomeric metallo silsesquioxane compound ranges from 0.001 wt % to 5 wt %, based on total weight of the composition.

14. The composition according to claim 1 , wherein said composition further comprises one or more additives selected from the group consisting of fillers, adhesion promoters, moisture scavengers, plasticizers, UV stabilizers, thixotropic agents, or combinations thereof.

15. The composition according to claim 1 , wherein said composition contains less than 0.001 wt % of tin.

16. A process of curing a composition according to claim 1 , comprising the step of: contacting at least one silylated polyurethane compound comprising an alkoxysilyl group, a silanol group, or combinations thereof with at least one tin-free polyhedral oligomeric metallo silsesquioxane curing agent thereby obtaining a cured composition.

17. The composition according to claim 1 , wherein the amount of said tin-free polyhedral oligomeric metallo silsesquioxane curing agent is ranging from 0.01 to 2 wt %, based on total weight of the composition.

18. The composition according to claim 1 , wherein the amount of said tin-free polyhedral oligomeric metallo silsesquioxane curing agent is ranging from 0.1 to 2 wt %, based on total weight of the composition.

19. The composition according to claim 1 , wherein the curing agent increases the hydrolysis and condensation rate of said alkoxysilyl and silanol groups of the silylated polyurethane compound.

20. The process according to claim 16 , wherein the curing agent increases the hydrolysis and condensation rate of said alkoxysilyl and silanol groups of the silylated polyurethane compound.