Siloxane-containing oligomers

Hydrosilation reactions have been one of the earlier techniques utilized in the preparation of siloxane containing block copolymers 22,23). A major application of this method has been in the synthesis of polysiloxane-poly(alkylene oxide) block copolymers 23), which find extensive applications as emulsifiers and stabilizers, especially in the urethane foam formulations 23-43). These types of reactions are conducted between silane (Si H) terminated siloxane oligomers and olefinically terminated poly-(alkylene oxide) oligomers. Consequently the resulting system contains (Si—C) linkages between different segments. Earlier developments in the field have been reviewed 22, 23,43> Recently hydrosilation reactions have been used effectively by Ringsdorf 255) and Finkelmann 256) for the synthesis of various novel thermoplastic liquid crystalline copolymers where siloxanes have been utilized as flexible spacers. Introduction of flexible siloxanes also improved the processibility of these materials. 

Siloxane containing block or segmented copolymers can be synthesized either by living anionic polymerization of the cyclic organosiloxane trimers with appropriate vinyl monomer(, 4 ) or by step-growth or condensation copolymerization of preformed a,w-difunctional siloxane oligomers with conventional difunctional... 

Siloxane-containing block copolymers are often prepared by step-growth or condensation polymerization of preformed diftmctionalized siloxane oligomers with other diftmctionalized monomers or oligomers. Our current work (3, 4, 6-8) on siloxane chemistry includes the preparation of a number of functionalized oligomers, with emphasis on equilibration processes with the commonly available cyclic tetramer, octamethylcyclotetrasiloxane (D4), in the presence of a functionalized disiloxane or end blocker. 

In both of the above techniques the reactive end-groups on siloxane oligomers were directly bonded to the terminal silicon atoms [i.e. Si—Cl and Si—N(CH3)2 respectively]. Therefore the resultant siloxane carbonate copolymers contained (Si—O—C)... 

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