Dynasylan® MTES, an alkyltrialkoxysilane is an important component in sol-gel systems.
Dynasylan® MTES is a colorless, low-viscosity liquid. Use requires acid- or alkali-catalysed hydrolysis. Dynasylan® MTES is regarded as trifunctional since all three alkoxy groups are able to participate in this reaction. Additionally Dynasylan® MTES contains a methyl group that adds organic character to the products. Hydrolysis leads to silanol groups which, in a subsequent condensation reaction, form very stable siloxane bonds (-Si-O-Si-). Condensation occurs parallel to hydrolysis once a certain amount of silanol groups have been formed. The absolute and relative rates of hydrolysis and condensation depends on a number of factors. The most important factors include pH, concentration, solvent, temperature and the catalyst.
Typical Applications
In some sol-gel applications Dynasylan® MTES is partially hydrolyzed to form a preproduct that can be further crosslinked using temperature. This prehydrolysis is often done in conjunction with other organofunctional silanes, silicic acid esters (e.g. Dynasylan® A) or even a aqueous silica sol. This preproduct can be further modified by addition of organic resins or inorganic nanoparticles such as AEROSIL®.