Editing Silicone (section)

== Chemistry ==
{{Main|Organosilicon compound}}
[[File:PDMS.svg|thumb|Chemical structure of the silicone polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS)]]
[[Alfred Stock]] and Carl Somiesky examined the [[hydrolysis]] of [[dichlorosilane]], a reaction that was proposed to initially give the monomer {{chem2|H2SiO}}:
<math chem display=block>\ce{SiH2Cl2  +  H2O  ->  H2SiO  + 2 HCl}</math>
When the hydrolysis is performed by treating a solution of {{chem2|H2SiCl2}} in benzene with water, the product was determined to have the approximate formula {{chem2|[H2SiO]6}}. Higher polymers were proposed to form with time.<ref name="Seyferth">Seyferth, D., Prud'Homme, C., Wiseman, G., Cyclic Polysiloxanes from the Hydrolysis of Dichlorosilane, Inorganic Chemistry, 22, 2163-2167</ref>

Most polysiloxanes feature organic substituents, e.g., {{chem2|[(CH3)2SiO]_{''n''}|}} and {{chem2|[(C6H5)2SiO)]_{''n''}|}}. All [[polymer]]ized [[siloxane]]s or polysiloxanes, silicones consist of an inorganic silicon–oxygen [[backbone chain]] ({{chem2|***\sSi\sO\sSi\sO\sSi\sO\s***}}) with two groups attached to each silicon center. The materials can be cyclic or polymeric. By varying the {{chem2|\sSi\sO\s}} chain lengths, side groups, and [[Cross-link|crosslinking]], silicones can be synthesized with a wide variety of properties and compositions. They can vary in consistency from liquid to gel to rubber to hard plastic. The most common siloxane is linear [[polydimethylsiloxane]] (PDMS), a [[silicone oil]].{{citation needed|date=July 2021}} The second-largest group of silicone materials is based on [[silicone resin]]s, which are formed by branched and cage-like oligosiloxanes.{{citation needed|date=July 2021}}