The side-chain polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane (POSS)-type epoxy (IPEP) hybrid material was synthesized, and the particle sizes of the POSS segment were less than 5 nm and which particles dispersed uniformly. The 3D AFM microphotograph of the IPEP/DGEBA (diglycidyl ether of bisphenol A) hybrid material exhibited the unique "island" shape, and their XRD pattern displayed amorphous halo structure. The POSS segments of the IPEP could improve the thermal degradation activation energies. Additionally, introduction of the IPEP into the DGEBA could improve the char yield and provide the antioxidation property in the air atmosphere. The char yields of the IPEP/DGEBA hybrid materials could improve from 14.48 to 19.21% and from 0.18 to 1.17% in the nitrogen and air atmospheres, respectively. The IPEP segments could also improve the hardness when the IPEP contents of the IPEP/DGEBA hybrid materials were less than 50 wt %. (C) 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 118: 3723-3732,2010