Hydroxymethylsilanetriol - A Simple Analog of Silicic Acid

Hydroxymethyltriethoxysilane and hydroxymethyltrimethoxysilane, precursors by hydrolysis to a simple analog of silicic acid, hydroxymethylsilanetriol, were prepared. Hydroxymethyltrialkoxysilanes undergo condensation to form silmethyleneoxide oligomers and dimeric 2,2,5,5-tetraalkoxy-2,5-disila-1,4-dioxanes. Hydroxymethylsilanetriol undergoes condensation reactions similar to silicic acid and readily forms organosilicate structures by sol-gel processing techniques which may be converted at relatively low temperatures to silicon dioxide. Hydroxmethylsilanetriol derived gels were subject to less stress-cracking during drying than conventional tetraethoxysilane derived gels, suggesting that Si-O-C bond equilibration during drying provides a mechanism for stress-relief. In screening experiments, hydroxymethylsilanetriol appears to be a competitive inhibitor of the growth of the diatom C. fusiformis, a silicate dependent species, which produces silicate structures. © 2013 The Author(s).