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The effect of pH on the gelation time of hexylene-bridged polysilsesquioxanes was determined with the sol−gel polymerization of 1,6-bis(trimethoxysilyl)hexane (1) in methanol. Gel times formed a crude bell curve plotted against pH with the longest gel times of 660 h near pH 5. This represents the first systematic study of the effects of pH on the gelation of polysilsesquioxanes.

No abstract