Polyether siloxane-containing alkoxylation products by direct alkoxylation of organomodified α,ω-dihydroxysiloxanes over double metal cyanide (DMC) catalysts, and also process for producing them

A process for the alkoxylation of organosiloxanes bearing SiOH groups by means of one or more epoxide monomers in order to produce the silicone polyethers of the formula (VII),

• where
• the radicals R are identical or different linear or branched, saturated, monounsaturated or polyunsaturated alkyl radicals having from 1 to 20 carbon atoms,
• and
• a is an integer from 0 to 5000,
• and A is a polyether fragment represented by the formula (VIII)
• in which R2 or R3 and R5 or R6 are identical or different and are each, independently of one another, H or a saturated or monounsaturated or polyunsaturated, monovalent or polyvalent hydrocarbon radical which may be further substituted, where the radicals R2 or R3 are each a monovalent hydrocarbon radical and the hydrocarbon radical can be cycloaliphatically bridged via the fragment Y;
• Y can be absent or be a methylene bridge having 1 or 2 methylene units,
• R4 is an ether or ester function on a linear or branched alkyl radical having from 1 to 24 carbon atoms or an aromatic or cycloaliphatic radical,
• n is an integer from 2 to 8 and
• R7, R8, R9, R10, R11 and R12 are each, independently of one another, hydrogen or an alkyl, alkoxy, aryl or aralkyl group,
• a is an integer from 0 to 5000,
• b is an integer from 0 to 1000,
• c is an integer from 0 to 500,
• d is an integer from 0 to 500,
• e, f and g are integers from 0 to 500,
• with the proviso that
• a) the fragments having the indices b to g can be freely permutated among one another, i.e. can be exchanged with one another in the sequence within the polyether chain, and
• b) the fragments having the indices b, c and e can be present in blocks or randomly distributed as desired and
• c) the sum b+c+d+e+f+g>zero and the sum of d+e+f+g>zero and
• d) the indices c to g are different from zero when the index b is from 1 to 200 and at the same time the fragment having the index b is EO (ethylenoxy group) or PO (propylenoxy group) or
• e) when the sum of the indices c to g is zero and the index b is from 1 to 200 and the fragments are EO or PO units, these are not present in a random sequence,
• wherein:
• the alkoxylation takes place in the presence of double metal cyanide catalysts;
• and
• lactones, saturated, unsaturated or aromatic cyclic dicarboxylic anhydrides or carbon dioxide are used either alone or in any mixtures with one another as monomers;
• and
• the epoxide monomers of formula (II) or (III)
• where
• R2 or R3 and R5 or R6 are identical or different and are each, independently of one another, H or a saturated or monounsaturated or polyunsaturated, monovalent or polyvalent hydrocarbon radical which may be further substituted, where the radicals R2 or R3 are each a monovalent hydrocarbon radical and the hydrocarbon radical can be cycloaliphatically bridged via the fragment Y;
• Y can be absent or be a methylene bridge having 1 or 2 methylene units, the hydrocarbon radicals R2 and R3 in the formula (II) can in turn be further substituted and bear functional groups such as halogens, hydroxyl groups or glycidyloxypropyl groups;
• or
• where at least one glycidyloxypropyl group is bound via an ether or ester function R4 to a linear or branched alkyl radical having from 1 to 24 carbon atoms, an aromatic or cycloaliphatic radical, added in blocks or randomly as desired onto a chain starter of the formula (I)
• are incorporated terminally, in isolated positions, cumulated in blocks or randomly distributed into the alkylene oxide chain of the silicone polyether, or added in blocks or randomly onto one or more chain starters of the formula (I) having at least one reactive SiOH group.