Tetramethylammonium 3‐aminopropyl dimethylsilanolate—aminopropyl dimethylsilanolate—a new catalyst for the synthesis of high purity, high molecular weight α,ω‐bis(aminopropyl) polydimethylsiloxanes

Tetramethylammonium 3‐aminopropyl dimethylsilanolate, readily prepared from bis(3‐aminopropyl) tetramethyldisiloxane and tetramethyl‐ammonium hydroxide pentahydrate, has been found to serve as a highly effective catalyst for the ring opening polymerization of cyclic siloxanes with an end blocker such as bis(3‐aminopropyl) tetramethyldisiloxane to give aminopropyl terminated linear polydimethylsiloxanes. By following a novel two stage procedure, even high molecular weight (5,000–55,000 g/mol) silicone diamines were able to be prepared in a high state of purity; chain extension reactions of these diamines with diisocyanates gave a series of high molecular weight silicone polyureas with good elastomeric properties.