Processes have been developed for the manufacture of polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxanes (POSS), polysilsesquioxanes, polyhedral oligomeric silicates (POS), and
siloxane molecules bearing reactive ring-strained
cyclic olefins (e.g. norbornenyl, cyclopentenyl, etc. functionalities). The preferred manufacturing processes employ the silation of siloxides (Si—OA, where A=H, alkaline or alkaline earth metals) with
silane reagents that contain at least one reactive ring-strained cyclic olefin functionality [e.g., X3-ySi(CH3)y(CH2)2 where y=1-2 and X=OH, Cl, Br, I,
alkoxide OR, acetate OOCR,
peroxide OOR, amine NR2,
isocyanate NCO, and R]. Alternatively, similar products can be prepared through hydrosilation reactions between
silanes containing at least one
silicon-
hydrogen bond (Si—H) with ring-strained cyclic olefin reagents [e.g., 5-vinyl, 2
norbornene CH2═CH,
cyclopentadiene]. The two processes can be effectively practiced using polymeric silsesquioxanes [RSiO1.5]∞ where ∞=1-1,000,000 or higher and which contain unreacted
silanol or
silane groups at chain terminus or
branch points, on POSS nanostructures of formulas [(RSiO1.5)n]Σ#, homoleptic, [(RSiO1.5)m(R′SiO1.5)n]Σ#, heteroleptic, and {(RSiO1.5)m(RXSiO1.0)n}Σ#, functionalized heteroleptic nanostructures, on
silanes RSiX3, linear, cyclic, oligomeric and polymeric siloxanes (polymeric formula RX2Si—(OSiRX)m—OSiRX2 where m=0-1000, X=OH, Cl, Br, I,
alkoxide OR, acetate OOCR,
peroxide OOR, amine NR2,
isocyanate NCO, and R). Each of the processes result in new
chemical species bearing one or more ring strained olefins that can undergo
polymerization,
grafting, or other desirable chemical reactions to form polymeric products. These polymeric systems are most desirably utilized in polymerizations for the modification of properties of
thermoplastic or thermoset resin systems or for the preparation of polymers with utility in
electronics, medical devices, sporting goods, and
aerospace as coatings and structural components.