Selective hydrosilylation of allyl esters with octahydridosilsesquioxane

Hydrosilylation of allyl esters with octahydridosilsesquioxane (T8H8) in the presence of platinum-based catalysts was studied. The effects of the catalysts and the reaction conditions on the conversion and the selectivity of the products were investigated. Karstedt's catalyst with two equivalents of PPh3 was found to be a superior hydrosilylation catalyst in terms of conversion and selectivity, compared with other Pt catalysts examined. An octasilsesquioxane functionalized with epoxy substituents was synthesized using the optimized reaction system, which was converted to a thermosetting polymer and its properties were investigated. (C) 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.