Vinyltriethoxysilane is an

organosilicon compound Organosilicon compounds are organometallic compounds containing carbon–silicon bonds. Organosilicon chemistry is the corresponding science of their preparation and properties. Most organosilicon compounds are similar to the ordinary organic c ...

with the formula (C₂H₅O)₃SiCH=CH₂. It is a colorless liquid. The compound is

bifunctional In organic chemistry, when a single organic molecule has two different functional groups, it is called a bifunctional molecule . A bifunctional molecule has the properties of two different types of functional groups, such as an alcohol (), amide ( ...

, featuring both a

vinyl group In organic chemistry, a vinyl group (abbr. Vi; IUPAC name: ethenyl group) is a functional group with the formula . It is the ethylene (IUPAC name: ethene) molecule () with one fewer hydrogen atom. The name is also used for any compound contai ...

and hydrolytically sensitive ethoxysilyl groups. As such it is a

crosslinking agent In chemistry and biology a cross-link is a bond or a short sequence of bonds that links one polymer chain to another. These links may take the form of covalent bonds or ionic bonds and the polymers can be either synthetic polymers or natural ...

.{{cite journal , doi = 10.5254/1.3538376, title = Chemical Aspects of Rubber Reinforcement by Fillers, journal = Rubber Chemistry and Technology, volume = 69, issue = 3, pages = 325–346, year = 1996, last1 = Wolff, first1 = Siegfried

Applications

Vinyltriethoxysilane and the related vinyltrimethoxysilane are using as

monomer In chemistry, a monomer ( ; '' mono-'', "one" + ''-mer'', "part") is a molecule that can react together with other monomer molecules to form a larger polymer chain or three-dimensional network in a process called polymerization. Classification ...

s and

comonomer In polymer chemistry, a comonomer refers to a polymerizable precursor to a copolymer aside from the principal monomer. In some cases, only small amounts of a comonomer are employed, in other cases substantial amounts of comonomers are used. Furthe ...

for polymers such as ethylene-vinyltrimethoxysilane and ethylene-

vinyl acetate Vinyl acetate is an organic compound with the formula CH3CO2CH=CH2. This colorless liquid is the precursor to polyvinyl acetate and ethene-vinyl acetate copolymers, important industrial polymers. Production The worldwide production capacity of v ...

-vinyltrimethoxysilane. Vinyltrialkoxysilanes are also used as

cross-link In chemistry and biology a cross-link is a bond or a short sequence of bonds that links one polymer chain to another. These links may take the form of covalent bonds or ionic bonds and the polymers can be either synthetic polymers or natural ...

ing agents during the manufacture of

cross-linked polyethylene Cross-linked polyethylene, commonly abbreviated PEX, XPE or XLPE, is a form of polyethylene with cross-links. It is used predominantly in building services pipework systems, hydronic radiant heating and cooling systems, domestic water piping, ins ...

(PEX). The alkoxysilane moiety is reactive toward water, and in the presence of

moisture Moisture is the presence of a liquid, especially water, often in trace amounts. Small amounts of water may be found, for example, in the air (humidity), in foods, and in some commercial products. Moisture also refers to the amount of water vapo ...

, it forms silicon-oxygen-silicon bonds that cross-link the material to cure it. Moisture-curable polymers are used as electrical insulation in some kinds of

cable Cable may refer to: Mechanical * Nautical cable, an assembly of three or more ropes woven against the weave of the ropes, rendering it virtually waterproof * Wire rope, a type of rope that consists of several strands of metal wire laid into a hel ...

s and for water pipe in under-floor heating installations. Vinyltrialkoxysilanes are also used as a coupling agents or adhesion promoters for treatment of glass fibers and particulate minerals in order to form stronger bonds with

resin In polymer chemistry and materials science, resin is a solid or highly viscous substance of plant or synthetic origin that is typically convertible into polymers. Resins are usually mixtures of organic compounds. This article focuses on n ...

and produce

fiberglass Fiberglass (American English) or fibreglass ( Commonwealth English) is a common type of fiber-reinforced plastic using glass fiber. The fibers may be randomly arranged, flattened into a sheet called a chopped strand mat, or woven into glass clo ...

with better mechanical properties. Amino-functional silanes such as

(3-aminopropyl)triethoxysilane (3-Aminopropyl)triethoxysilane (APTES) is an aminosilane frequently used in the process of silanization, the functionalization of surfaces with alkoxysilane molecules. It can also be used for covalent attaching of organic films to metal oxides s ...

and epoxy-functional silanes are used for the same purpose. The silane group attaches to the glass substrate via

covalent A covalent bond is a chemical bond that involves the sharing of electrons to form electron pairs between atoms. These electron pairs are known as shared pairs or bonding pairs. The stable balance of attractive and repulsive forces between atoms ...

Si-O-Si bond, while the resin reacts with the vinyl-, amino-, or epoxy- group and binds to it.

References

Silyl ethers Monomers Vinyl compounds Ethoxides