Chemistry Reference
In-Depth Information
As documented in this review, the polysiloxanes have been of great inter-
est and importance for a variety of reasons. The chains themselves have
unusual structural features and flexibility and mobility unmatched by
other polymer molecules. As a result, polysiloxanes have extraordinarily
high permeabilities, very low viscosities, unusual surface properties, un-
expected mesophases, and useful properties over an astonishingly wide
range of temperatures. The fact that these novel properties are not well
understood has attracted the attention of people doing analytical theory
or computer simulations.
Networks produced from polysiloxane chains are also unique, because
of the specific reactions that can be used to end link them into high-
performance elastomeric materials of known network structures. Rein-
forcing these polysiloxane elastomers also provides some unusual opportu-
nities in that they are compatible with fillers ranging from the commercially
important silicas to new materials such as in situ-generated ceramic par-
ticles, ellipsoidal particles, clays and other layered materials, polysilsesqui-
oxane molecular cubes, porous materials, and nanotubes. All indications
are that the polysiloxanes will maintain their fascination to those doing
basic research, and there seems to be no limit to the areas in which these
materials are finding intriguing applications.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
It is a pleasure to acknowledge the financial support provided by the National
Science Foundation through Grant DMR-0314760 (Polymers Program, Divi-
sion of Materials Research), and by the Dow Corning Corporation of Mid-
land, MI. We appreciate the effort of Devesh Dadhich Shreeram in checking
the references and Zheng Yan for preparing the index.
REFERENCES
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Developments 1967-1977.
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2. Arkles, B.; Rediger, P.,
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Lancaster, PA, 1983.
3. Rochow, E. G.,
Silicon and Silicones
. Springer-Verlag: Berlin, 1987.
4. Giordano, G. G.; Refojo, M. F., Silicone Oils as Vitreous Substitutes.
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