New Polymeric Materials Modified with Silicones, Functional Silanes, Silica and Silicates

Dear Colleagues,

Many functional silanes and carbofunctional silanes of different chemical structures are used for modification of surface properties of different polymeric and inorganic materials, e.g., fillers.

Silicones (polysiloxanes), containing silicon and oxygen atoms in their main chains and organic substituents bound to silicon are a large and important group of various inorganic–organic (hybrid) compounds and materials. Mainly poly(dimethylsiloxanes) (PDMS) are used. Silicones are applied as oils, rubbers, and resins (W. Noll, 1968; M.A. Brook, 2000). They have many unusual features—they exhibit excellent chemical, physical, and electrical properties, for instance, and the addition of even a very small amount of silicones leads to a crucial improvement of properties of modified materials. Silicones increase the hydrophobicity and improve the water resistance and thermal stability of many materials.

Other organosilicon polymers, and especially polysilanes, polycarbosilanes, and polysilazanes, are raw materials for fabrication of polymer-derived high-tech ceramic materials. Silicon-based polymers and polymeric materials as well as reactive silane coupling agents (SCA) are used in many fields—from industry through everyday life commodity goods and cosmetics to medicine. Their universal properties mean that they are very useful and attractive materials and components in a very wide range of products.

A continuously growing interest in applications of reactive silanes, all kinds of silicones, chemically modified nanosilica, different composites, silicon photovoltaic cells, and silicon nanowires is continuously observed in many different fields of science, chemical technology, and especially in materials science.

A semiconductive silicon as a basic electronic material is used for the production of computer chips and other electronic devices, while high-purity silicon is used for the fabrication of chlorosilane monomers (in a so-called direct process), applied in silicone technology. Original contributions and reviews are welcome.

Dr. Jerzy J. Chruściel
Guest Editor

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