Poly(methylhydrosiloxane) networks of different structure and content of Si-H groups: Physicochemical properties and transformation into silicon oxycarbide ceramics

Hydrosilylation of Arynes with Silanes and Silicon-Based Polymer

Benzyne derived from hexadehydrogenated Diels Alder (HDDA) reactions was found to be an efficient hydrosilylation acceptors. Various silanes can react smoothly with HDDA-derived benzyne to give the arylation products. Lewis acid such as boron trifluoride etherate can accelerate these hydrosilylation reactions. Polyhydromethylsiloxane (PHMS), a widely used organosilicon polymer, was also successfully modified using our method. About 5 % of Si-H bonds in the polymer were inserted by benzynes, giving a functional PHMS with much more solubility in methanol and with a blue-emitting fluorescence behavior. Mechanism research shows that the insertion of benzyne into the Si-H bond probably undergoes a synergistic pathway, which is quite different from the traditional radical-initiated hydrosilylation or transition-metal-catalyzed hydrosilylation.

The Effect of Surfactant-Modified Montmorillonite on the Cross-Linking Efficiency of Polysiloxanes

Polymer–clay mineral composites are an important class of materials with various applications in the industry. Despite interesting properties of polysiloxanes, such matrices were rarely used in combination with clay minerals. Thus, for the first time, a systematic study was designed to investigate the cross-linking efficiency of polysiloxane networks in the presence of 2 wt % of organo-montmorillonite. Montmorillonite (Mt) was intercalated with six quaternary ammonium salts of the cation structure [(CH₃)₂R’NR]⁺, where R = C₁₂, C₁₄, C₁₆, and R’ = methyl or benzyl substituent. The intercalation efficiency was examined by X-ray diffraction, CHN elemental analysis, and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. Textural studies have shown that the application of freezing in liquid nitrogen and freeze-drying after the intercalation increases the specific surface area and the total pore volume of organo-Mt. The polymer matrix was a poly(methylhydrosiloxane) cross-linked with two linear vinylsiloxanes of different siloxane chain lengths between end functional groups. X-ray diffraction and transmission electron microscopy studies have shown that the increase in d-spacing of organo-Mt and the benzyl substituent influence the degree of nanofillers’ exfoliation in the nanocomposites. The increase in the degree of organo-Mt exfoliation reduces the efficiency of hydrosilylation reaction monitored by FTIR. This was due to physical hindrance induced by exfoliated Mt particles.

Poly(methylvinylsiloxane)-Based High Internal Phase Emulsion-Templated Materials (polyHIPEs)-Preparation, Incorporation of Palladium, and Catalytic Properties

Poly(methylvinylsiloxane) (V₃ polymer) obtained by kinetically controlled anionic ring-opening polymerization of 1,3,5-trimethyl-1,3,5-trivinylcyclotrisiloxane was cross-linked with various amounts of 1,3,5,7-tetramethylcyclotetrasiloxane (D₄^H) in w/o high internal phase emulsions (HIPEs). PolyHIPEs thus prepared differed in the polymer cross-linking degree, which affected their porous morphology and total porosity. The obtained V₃ polymer-based polyHIPEs were applied as matrices for the incorporation of Pd from the Pd(OAc)₂ solution in tetrahydrofuran. This process involved the conversion of Si–H groups remaining in the polymer networks and resulted in the formation of crystalline, metallic Pd in the systems. Mean sizes of the generated Pd crystallites were lower in polyHIPEs of higher than in those of lower polymer cross-linking degrees and porosities (∼5 nm vs ∼8 nm, respectively). The Pd-containing polyHIPEs showed activity in catalytic hydrogenation of the triple carbon–carbon bond in phenylacetylene giving the unsaturated product, styrene with a selectivity of ca. 80%. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first work devoted to polysiloxane-based polyHIPEs with dispersed metallic particles.