A metal-free radical technique for cross-linking of polymethylhydrosiloxane or polymethylvinylsiloxane using AIBN

Konstantin V Deriabin; Mikhail V Dobrynin; Regina M Islamova

doi:10.1039/d0dt01061h

A metal-free radical technique for cross-linking of polymethylhydrosiloxane or polymethylvinylsiloxane using AIBN

Dalton Trans. 2020 Jul 7;49(26):8855-8858. doi: 10.1039/d0dt01061h.

Authors

Konstantin V Deriabin¹, Mikhail V Dobrynin, Regina M Islamova

Affiliation

¹ Saint Petersburg State University, 7/9, Universitetskaya nab., Saint Petersburg, 199034, Russia. r.islamova@spbu.ru.

PMID: 32589173
DOI: 10.1039/d0dt01061h

Abstract

A new method was developed for the metal-free cross-linking of silicone rubbers. This process uses azobisisobutyronitrile (AIBN) to selectively react with Si-H and vinyl groups as a free-radical initiator for the thermal curing of polymethylhydrosiloxane (PMHS) and polymethylvinylsiloxane (PMVS). The AIBN-initiated curing reaction between the Si-H groups of PMHS generated Si-O-Si and Si-Si cross-links. In contrast, PMVS was cured via the formation of C-C bonds through "methyl-vinyl" and "vinyl-vinyl" mechanisms. Curing reactions were performed at 80-120 °C in air and confirmed by 13C and 29Si solid state NMR analyses and swelling trials.