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.
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