SiloxanesIUPAC Term

Saturated silicon-oxygen hydrides with unbranched or branched chains of alternating silicon and oxygen atoms (each silicon atom is separated from its nearest silicon neighbours by single oxygen atoms). The general structure of unbranched siloxanes is H sub 3 /sub Si[OSiH sub 2 /sub ] sub i n /i /sub OSiH sub 3 /sub . H sub 3 /sub Si[OSiH sub 2 /sub ] sub i n /i /sub OSiH[OSiH sub 2 /sub OSiH sub 3 /sub ] sub 2 /sub is an example of a branched siloxane. By extension hydrocarbyl derivatives are commonly included.