Importance of Hexamethyl Disiloxane

Chemcon Specialty Chemicals focuses on the manufacturing of Hexamethyl Disiloxane or HMDSO, considered an important chemical in the field of pharmacy. It is a clear and essentially an odourless liquid that has been of great benefits to the pharmaceutical industry along with a variety of cosmetic products. With the molecular formula of C6H18OSi2 and molecular weight of 162.38, it has the fastest evaporating rate and the lowest surface tension. Due to the highly lipophilic nature and the high spread ability of its crystallizing compounds it is used for the preparation of liquid bandages, adhesives, silicone rubber and silicon compounds.

Hexamethyldisiloxane is prepared through the process of the hydrolysis of trimethylsilyl chloride or TMCS. It reacts with the nucleophiles which results in the replacement of the chloride. This nucleophile is water which further results in hydrolysis to give the Hexamethyl Disiloxane.

2(CH3)3SiCl+H2O→(CH3)3SiO(CH3)3Si+2HCl

It also results from the hydrolysis of silylethers and other silyl-protected functional groups.

Apart from being used in the pharmaceutical industry it is also used as a major source of the Trimethylsilylchlorosilane functional group in the process of organic synthesis. Carboxylic acid is converted into different types of silyl ethers in the presence of an acid catalyst along with HMDSO. When mixed with oxygen (O2), HMDSO produces a plasma-polymerized coating that can provide protection from corrosion and other elements. It is also used in the preparation of spectroscopy. It is also used in stationary liquids, analysis reagent and moisture repellent.

While the most important use of TMCS is the preparation of HMDSO, it also has various uses. For example, it can be used for the production of silicon compounds and various alkylation agents and the also the production of different types of drugs and medicines. Another important usage of TMCS is to manufacture anhydrous solutions of HCL that is used in synthesis of esters from nitriles and carboxylic acids. It is also plays a major part in producing laboratory glassware as it makes the surface more lipophilic or soluble in liquids.

Chemcon Specialty Chemicals makes full use of HMDSO’s purpose of humidity sensing and has been constantly studying it through various evaluations and experiments. The relative humidity and other properties are also constantly being examined. HMDSO thin films are known to display a small recovery and response of around 34 and 8 s for desiccation and humidification processes. Therefore, apart from contributing to the pharmaceutical industry, of Hexamethyl Disiloxane it has innumerable uses in other industries around the world.