A Novel Method for Producing Polysiloxane Materials

BACKGROUND

Polysiloxanes perform a list of functions in daily life. This list becomes all the longer on account of simple alterations to amino-substituted polysiloxanes, where subtle chemical substitutions readily result in drastic changes in the properties of the new material. These changes are often associated with greater utility and cost-effectiveness. Careful attention to the nature of the molecule added, the post-addition treatment, the percent of monomers in the polysiloxane with an amino functionality, and the type of amino group can turn free-flowing, slippery liquids to strong (reversible) adhesives and very viscous syrups, rubbery materials, or gels.

Benefit

• The effects of simple additives (which are capable of creating ion pairs within the polysiloxanes) on the polymer properties are a potential source of cost-effective and useful materials.
• This approach may be useful in a variety of new applications, including a potential source of materials which are able to imbibe selectively large amounts of low polarity solvents.

Market Application

• Gives rise to materials useful as polymer networks for chemical or oil spill cleanup, drug delivery systems, transparent films, adhesives, binding agents, conductors, membranes, cross-linking agents, or opticoelectronic applications.
• The use of optically active acids (or bases if the polysiloxane has acidic groups appended) can create chiral environments so that the resulting polymers would be useful in enantiomeric sensing and separations (via chromatography).

Publications

• He, Y., Zhao, H., Yao, M., & Weiss, R. G. (2017). Complex new materials from simple chemistry: Combining an amino‐substituted polysiloxane and carboxylic acids. Journal of Polymer Science Part a Polymer Chemistry, 55(23), 3851–3861. https://doi.org/10.1002/pola.28769

Intellectual property status

Granted Patent

Patent number : Patent No. 10,221,283

Where : USA