Thermoplastic elastomers polydimethylsiloxane polymers

Botterhuis NE, van Beek DIM, van Gemert GML, Bosman AW, Sijbesma RP (2008) Self-assembly and morphology of polydimethylsiloxane supramolecular thermoplastic elastomers. J Polym Sci Polym Chem 46(12) 3877-3885... 

Block polymers containing polydimethylsiloxane soft blocks have been the subject of considerable recent synthetic activity. In particular, polydimethylsiloxane-b-polystyrene polymers have received considerable attention as thermoplastic elastomers. For the most part, anionic polymerization methods have provided the most successful routes to the preparation of these block polymers. Among the most notable papers in this field are those of Dean, Saam et al, Juliano, and Bajaj and coworkers. Recently Chaumont and his coworkers have prepared polydimethylsiloxane-b-polystyrene polymers by the platinum catalyzed condensation polymerization of a,o)-vinyl terminated polystyrene oligomers with a,o)-hydrogen terminated polydimethyl-siloxanes. 

The sol-gel synthesis of hybrid materials involves the occurrence of hydrolysis and condensation reactions in the presence of an organic polymer. Obviously, the selection of suitable polymer is of fundamental importance for the synthesis of the hybrid materials, as it should exhibit good miscibility with typical sol-gel precursors. The presence of suitable functional groups can facilitate the linkage between the polymer and the inorganic component. Also, the nature of the polymeric matrix is important because different properties of the matrix and, consequently, of the resulting nanohybrid material can be addressed for instance, the polymeric marix can be an elastomer (as in the case of polydimethylsiloxane) or thermoplastic (e.g., polytetrahydrofuran), amorphous, or (partially) crystalline [81]. 

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