Effects of Temperature and Solvent on the Hydrolysis of Alkoxysilane under Alkaline Conditions

Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy was employed to study the hydrolysis reaction of methyltriethoxysilane (MTES) in an alkaline catalyzed system. The effects of reaction temperature and solvent on the hydrolysis rate were investigated. The hydrolysis rate constants, activation energy, and Arrhenius frequency factor were achieved by linear regression analysis for MTES hydrolysis in the alkaline system. The results showed that the hydrolysis reactions were obviously affected by the reaction temperature and solvents, and had larger activation parameters in the alkaline system than those in an acid system. It is possible that hydrogen-bonding characteristics and "hydrophobic interaction" resulted in the different hydrolysis rates of MTES in the various solvents of MeOH, EtOH, DOX, and DMF.