Metal silanolates aggregation

In solution the primary aggregates will exist in dynamic equilibrium with smaller aggregates and we may consider the following sequence of equilibria to be representative of the metal silanolate (AM) in non-polar solvents ... 

The anionic polymerization of cyclosiloxanes is a complex process. For the alkali metal silanolate catalysts the weight of experimental evidence supports a mechanism based on growth from the metal silanolate ion pair. The ion pair is in dynamic equilibrium with ion-pair dimers which, for the smaller alkali metal ions like lithium and sodium, are themselves in dynamic equilibrium with ion-pair dimer aggregates. The fractional order in catalyst which is observed is a direct result of the equilibria between ion pairs, ion-pair dimers and ion-pair dimer aggregates. Polar solvents break down the aggregates and increase the concentration of ion-pair dimers and hence the concentration of ion pairs. Species like crown ethers and the [2.1.1] cryptate which form strong complexes with the metal cation increase the dissociation of ion-pair dimers into ion pairs. In the case of the lithium [2.1.1] cryptate dissociation into ion pairs is complete and the order in catalyst is unity. 

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