INVESTIGATIONS OF THE PROPERTIES OF CYCLIC POLY(DIMETHYLSILOXANE)

Polymers molecules may have a variety of architectural structures such as linear, ring, star, branched and ladder chains and also three dime nsional network structures. This overview describes some selected prop erties of cyclic poly(dimethylsiloxane), particularly where large diff erences are seen when compared to the linear polymeric analogs. The ar ea of topological entrapment of ring polymers into networks structures is also be described, which is an area that is not accessible to line ar polymers unless they undergo end-cyclizing chemistry. This concept of topological threading is somewhat general for ring molecules as it is also utilized in the preparation of catenanes and rotaxanes.