Multifunctional silanes as basis for the development of bulk materials

 

Easily synthesizable, multifunctional silanes with adjustable properties and a high potential for variation are an essential means for chemical design and fulfill the requirements of increasing complexity in the development of technical materials.

Material developers are able to greatly vary the density of the inorganic and organic network and a wide range of other properties, which enables them to modify the resulting material specifications such as Young's modulus, the thermal expansion coefficient, durability, adhesion, refractive index etc. according to the given requirements.

Based on commercially available precursors, different silanes (such as the ones below) can be synthesized by simple means f.

• Oligo-(meth)acrylate-alkoxysilanes
• Oligo-Norbornene-alkoxysilanes
• Carboxyl-functionalized oligo-(meth)acrylate-alkoxysilanes
• Spiroorthoester-alkoxysilanes

Potential applications

• Precursors for the sol-gel process (e.g. manufacture of solvent-free reactive resins)
• Bonding agents
• Functionalization of interfaces and surfaces

Variability by molecular design. Three variable structural segments of a molecule serve as starting point for the development of a material.

Inorganically condensable segment

Hydrolyzable and condensable part of the molecule with a variable number of alkoxy groups ~Si(OR)_xR_y' for building an inorganic

Connecting segment

Connecting segment with variable length, structure, composition and functionality, for example:

~~NHC(O)O~~

~~S~~

~~R(CO₂H)~~

~~C_nH_2n~~

Organic polymerization or polyaddition segment

With a variable structure, composition and number of reactive groups for building an additional organic polymer network or for connecting to various organic surfaces:

~(-O₂CCH=CH₂)_n
~(-O₂CC(CH₃)=CH₂)_n
~(Norbornyl)_n
~Spiroorthoester