1. Metal-Free Room-Temperature Vulcanization of Silicones via Borane Hydrosilylation
- Author
-
Sang-Ho Lee, Caitlin S. Sample, Morgan W. Bates, Valerie Lensch, Brooke A. Versaw, Shaoguang Li, Craig J. Hawker, and Christopher M. Bates
- Subjects
Molar mass ,Materials science ,Polymers and Plastics ,Hydrosilylation ,Organic Chemistry ,Thermal decomposition ,chemistry.chemical_element ,02 engineering and technology ,Borane ,010402 general chemistry ,021001 nanoscience & nanotechnology ,01 natural sciences ,0104 chemical sciences ,Catalysis ,Inorganic Chemistry ,chemistry.chemical_compound ,chemistry ,Chemical engineering ,Siloxane ,Materials Chemistry ,Thermal stability ,0210 nano-technology ,Platinum - Abstract
Vulcanization of silicone networks from commercially available linear poly(dimethyl-co-methylhydro)siloxane (PMHS) and alpha-diketones was achieved using metal-free borane hydrosilylation at room temperature. The Lewis acid catalyst, tris(pentafluorophenyl)borane (B(C6F5)(3)), efficiently cross-linked PMHS at minimal catalyst loadings (200-1000 ppm) to produce polymer networks with mechanical properties, thermal stability, and optical clarity rivaling that achieved from traditional platinum catalysis. Variation of the starting PMHS structure is shown to influence the final characteristics of the network. Increasing molar mass of the PMHS chain results in a higher thermal decomposition temperature, while increasing mole fractions of Si-H moieties along the backbone increase the cross-linking density and the attendant Shore hardness. The degradation behavior of the networks was investigated, with the borane-vulcanized samples showing rapid dissolution upon exposure to acid and high stability to neutral and basic conditions. Functional networks bearing halide and vinyl groups could also be prepared via a preliminary reaction of PMHS with an appropriate monoketone, providing a general and versatile strategy for network derivatization with the potential for postvulcanization functionalization being subsequently demonstrated via thiol-ene click chemistry.
- Published
- 2019