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For separation of hydrocarbon compounds from light gases, nanocomposite membranes were prepared by incorporation of polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane (POSS) nanoparticles into poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS). First, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) revealed a homogenous dispersion of POSS nanoparticles in PDMS since octatrimethylsiloxy constituents have favorable interactions with the polymer chains. Then, the effect of octatrimethylsiloxy POSS nanoparticles on the thermal stability of the nanocomposite membranes was investigated using thermo-gravimetric analysis (TGA) to propose a decomposition mechanism and discuss the mechanism leading to their increased thermal stability. Thermodynamically, dipole-dipole interaction between POSS and PDMS was found effective to increase thermal stability. Finally, permeability for different gases (H₂, C₃H₈, CO₂, and CH₄) was measured. The …