Silicones ("polysiloxanes") are used in numerous industrial applications, from cosmetics to aerospace.
"Nevertheless, during their synthesis, cyclic oligosiloxanes can be formed, small molecules some of which are classified as toxic for the environment and suspected of being endocrine disruptors", reminds the CNRS.
Led by a CNRS researcher, a team of scientists from the Fundamental and Applied Heterochemistry Laboratory (CNRS/Université de Toulouse Paul Sabatier), Elkem Silicones and the Department of Chemistry at the Autonomous University of Barcelona have developed a process for synthesizing silicones from cyclic siloxanes in a cleaner, more environmentally-friendly way, while preventing the formation of these impurities in the finished product.
These results have been published in the scientific journal Science. According to the CNRS, they could have considerable spin-offs for the industrial sector.
