Synthesis, characterization and modification of silicone resins: An “Augmented Review”

This article deals with the preparation and modification of resins, as found in patents and articles and exhaustively reported here, and their characterization and functionalization, complemented by our own experimental experience. First, we present the different syntheses of resins according to the chosen precursor (e.g. chlorosilanes, alkoxysilanes, sodium silicate or others…) as well as the microstructure of the copolymers (e.g. MQ, T, MDT...). The few characterizations reported in the literature on these hybrid molecules are reviewed and completed with our own set of analyses on some commercial resins. Finally, the different methods of silicone resins modification (condensation, redistribution, functionalization…) are reviewed and also illustrated experimentally using few examples from our side.