Preparation of polyorganosiloxanes by interfacial polymerization

Abstract

An interfacial polymerization process wherein organosilicon reactants are dissolved in mutually immiscible, nonaqueous solvents, and a condensation product is formed at the interface. This technique has many of the advantages of analogous organic interfacial polymerization, and may be used, for example, to prepare crosslinked films, fibers, particles, or encapsulants. Structures which cannot be prepared by other routes can be made. In particular, a well-defined alternating dimethyl/diphenyl siloxane block copolymer can be prepared by condensing a dihalo organosilicon compound such as diphenyldichlorosilane (C.sub.6 H.sub.5).sub.2 SiCl.sub.2 in diphenyl ether with a dimethyl silanolate in cyclohexane. The advantages are ability to control polymer structure, and there is no rearrangement during polymerization.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.