Development of optimum conditions for the synthesis of sodium polymethylsiliconates

A procedure was suggested for preparing soluble polymethylsilsesquioxane by partial butoxylation of the initial methyltrichlorosilane. The possibility of synthesizing linear sodium methylsiliconates by reaction of polymethylsilsesquioxane with sodium hydroxide in aqueous ethanol or in the presence of dimethyl sulfoxide was demonstrated. Sodium methylsiliconates prepared in aqueous alcohol or as suspension in dimethyl sulfoxide are polymeric products structurally similar to poly(sodiumoxy)methylsilsesquioxane. The suggested procedure considerably simplifies the synthesis of the target compounds as compared to the previously developed methods.