The purpose of the lab was to synthesize a silicone polymer by hydrolyzing a chlorosilane. This was demonstrated by the synthesis of the polymer, polydimethylsiloxane, from dimethyldichlorosilane monomers using hydrolysis and cross-linking reactions. The volume of the solution containing polydimethylsiloxane was found to be 16mL before Boric acid was added, which resulted in a 126% yield. After the addition of the Boric acid and subsequent heating at around 120C, a putty like material was the resulting product. It was solid and slightly elastic, it was also slightly grainy likely due to the addition of too much boric acid or an excess of diethyl ether that was in the final solution.
Introduction .
Silicon is the seventh-most abundant element in the universe and the second-most abundant element on Earth, behind oxygen. In fact, about 25% of Earth's crust is silicon.1 Silicon the element and Silicone the polymer are not to be confused. Silicon the element can be used to make concrete and brick, while hyper-pure silicon is used in solid state hard drives and many other solid-state electronics.2 Silicones are extremely useful because they are water repellent, heat stable, and very resistant to chemical attack. They are widely used in industry and find many uses in oils, greases, and rubberlike materials. In addition, other silicones are used in hydraulic fluids, electrical insulators and moisture proofing agent in fabrics. Silicones also have a number of medical applications because they are chemically inert. Breast implants, catheters, tubing, and gastric bags are examples of some medical products made from silicone.3.
The most common silicone polymers are synthesized by hydrolysis of dimethyldichlorosilane monomers which results in the silicon-based polymer, polydimethylsiloxane which was the experiment undertaken in this lab. Silicone polymers consist of an inorganic silicon-oxygen backbone chain, (⋯-Si-O-Si-O-Si-O-⋯) with organic side groups attached to the silicon atoms.
