Application of Spectroscopic Methods in the Studies of Polysiloxanes, Cubic Oligomeric Silsesquioxanes, and Spherosilicates Modified by Organic Functional Groups via Hydrosilylation

Organosilicon compounds whose structure is based on the stable Si–O bonds show high chemical and thermal stability. Incorporation of organic groups into their molecules results in the materials which combine the properties of the Si–O skeleton and those of organic moieties. Hydrosilylation, i.e., catalytic addition of Si–H groups to carbon–carbon double bonds, is a convenient route to prepare organofunctional silicon compounds. In this chapter, the work that has been done since the year 2000 on functionalization via hydrosilylation of polysiloxanes, cubic oligomeric silsesquioxanes, and spherosilicates, i.e., the main classes of organosilicon compounds containing Si–O bonds, is reviewed. The emphasis is put on spectroscopic investigations of the functionalization process or its products.