Characterization of the benzene-insoluble fraction of the hydrolyzate of phenyltrimethoxysilanes in the presence of benzyltrimethylammonium hydroxide

The insoluble fraction obtained from the hydrolysis and condensation of (4-dimethylamino-, 2-methyl-, and nonsubstituted)phenyltrimethoxysilanes in the presence of benzyltrimethylammonium hydroxide in benzene was characterized. IR, ¹H NMR, and ²⁹Si NMR suggested that the insoluble fraction was composed of RSi(O )₃, that is, a T³ structure. X-ray diffraction indicated the presence of a long-range ordered structure composed of a mixture of crystals. Raman spectroscopy strongly suggested a cage structure by the presence of a ring-opening vibration assignable to a cubic structure at 475–482 cm⁻¹. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 42: 4587–4597, 2004