Comb‐type methylsiloxane copolymers with diorganosilylene fragments as a lateral group

The catalytic dehydrocondensation reaction of α,ω‐bis(trimethylsiloxy)methylhydridesiloxane and of α,ω‐bis(trimethylsiloxy)methylhydridesiloxane‐dimethylsiloxane with α‐hydroxy‐ω‐trimethylsiloxydiorganosilylenes, in the presence of anhydrous caustic potassium, at 1:35 and 1:33 ratio of initial compounds has been investigated and polyorganosiloxanes with rigid polydiorganosilylenes fragment in the side chain, completely soluble in organic solvents, have been obtained. The catalytic dehydrocondensation reaction order, activation energies, and rate constants have been determined. The synthesized copolymers were characterized by thermogravimetric, gel permeation chromatographic, differential scanning calorimetric, and wide‐angle X‐ray analyses. It was shown that during modification of α,ω‐bis(trimethylsiloxy)methylhydridesiloxane‐dimethylsiloxane with α‐hydroxy‐ω‐trimethylsiloxydiorganosilylenes in synthesized block‐copolymers, microdomain structure (phase incompatibility) was observed. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 104: 2161–2167, 2007