Functionalised (Poly)silsesquioxanes and Silicon-Containing Dendrimers

Functionalised (poly)silsesquioxanes which can be considered as organicmodified silica and silicon-containing dendrimers with their highly branched, tree-like structure offer special properties. They have inspired many chemists to develop new materials and nanomaterials and their several applications have been explored.

The syntheses of such compounds via hydrosilylation processes are described in this chapter.

Functionalised (poly)silsesquioxanes and silicon-containing dendrimers are belong to the most rapidly developing branches of organosilicon chemistry.

Hydrosilylation reactions using hydridosilsesquioxanes as the starting precursors have been used to prepare a number of interesting new adducts, proving a particularly high versatility of this method of functionalisation of silsesquioxanes.

On the other hand, a combination of hydrosilylation with alkenylation (usually allylation and vinylation) or ethynylation and with alcoholysis has provided powerful protocols for the rapid and efficient synthesis of silicon-containing dendrimers, mostly carbosilanes, carbosiloxanes and carbosilazanes, also dendritic poly(silanes) and poly(siloxanes).