Synthesis and characterization of oligocyclosiloxanes via the hydrosilation of vinylsilanes and vinylsiloxanes with heptamethylcyclotetrasiloxane

The preparation of oligocyclosiloxanes via hydrosilation reactions has been investigated. Hydrosilation reactions employing heptamethylcyclotetrasiloxane and vinyl-containing silanes and siloxanes yielded a variety of oligocyclosiloxanes with various numbers of cyclosiloxane rings connected through tri-, tetra-, penta-, hexa-, hepta-, or octafunctional junctions. The oligocyclosiloxanes were characterized by gas chromatography, IR spectroscopy, ²⁹Si-, ¹H-, and ¹³C-NMR spectroscopy, elemental analysis, and vapor phase osmometry. The polycyclics were redistributed with hexamethyldisiloxane and the resulting fragments analyzed by gas chromatography. All results were consistent with the formation of isomeric oligocyclosiloxanes due to a lack of absolute regioselectivity of the hydrosilation reaction. © 1993 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.