The Art of Silicones: Bringing Siloxane Chemistry to the Undergraduate Curriculum

Siloxane polymers and silicone materials are major components in most people’s daily lives and are important in a wide variety of applications. However, despite their undeniable importance, they are often overlooked in the traditional undergraduate education, as they do not fall neatly into the traditional categories of organic or inorganic chemistry. Even in advanced polymer courses, they are often overlooked despite their value in describing many important polymer concepts. Herein we present three simple experiments to introduce siloxane polymers to the undergraduate education aimed at first-year, upper-level, and non-science-major students. This is prefaced with a brief overview of the history and chemistry of siloxanes and their value as teaching tools in the laboratory and classroom settings.